SCOOPING IT UP — Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain Jaguars’ second baseman McKenna Benck fields a ground ball during late-inning action Monday in Truman. Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey baserunner Caleb Simon (11) prepares to slide into second, while Jaguar shortstop Owen Wolter (back left) watches the action. (Photo by Greg Abel)

TRUMAN — Two big innings soured Jordan Petschke’s Jaguar coaching debut.

Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey held off Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain, 7-4, during season-opening Valley Conference baseball action Monday night in Truman.

The Wolverines scored three runs in the first inning to jump ahead.

Sam Riddle walked, then stole second before a sacrifice bunt moved him to third. Kolby Kremmin then lined a single into right field for the first run of the game. Kremmin moved to third after a passed ball and a wild pitch, then scored on a dropped third strike. Caleb Simon reached first on the dropped third, then advanced on an Alex Blom single to left and scored on an Ian Penner double roped down the right-field line.

After some first inning of the season jitters, Jaguar starter Owen Wolter sailed smoothly through the next three innings. Wolter worked a one-two-three second inning with a strikeout, then did the same in the third before striking out the side in the fourth. Wolter worked a groundout to start the fifth, reaching his predetermined pitch count for the opening start. Wolter moved off the mound with a line of three runs, two earned, on three hits, one walk and six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Luke Kester came on in relief, continuing to mow down Wolverines in the fifth.

Three walks, an error and two singles led to four Wolverine runs in the top of the sixth, putting the game out of reach for the Jaguars.

“Owen (Wolter) was fantastic,” Petschke said. “He started believing he could throw a fastball by these kids and that’s what he did. He moved it up and down, side to side, but he just got in a groove. That’s a lot of what pitching is. … In the first inning, we were a little hectic, signs weren’t quite right and we gave them a couple of extra outs, but he got through it and got in his groove.”

The Jaguar offense looked solid in the early innings.

Wolter led off the home half of the game with a walk, then took second on a wild pitch before moving to third on a groundout.

Kaiden Musser was hit by a pitch, then stole second to put runners on second and third. After a strikeout, Matthew Steuber lined a single to left, just over the outstretched glove of the Wolverines’ jumping third baseman, scoring Wolter.

The Jaguars scored again in the second when McKenna Benck reached base on a fielder’s choice, then advanced to second on a Wolter singled up the middle. Benck came around to score when both Kester and Musser were hit by pitches.

Kester scored the Jaguars’ third run in the sixth inning.

Kester and Musser both walked, then each advanced two bases on back-to-back wild pitches.

Jack Kruse scored the Jaguars’ final run in the seventh when he reached base on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second on a Benck walk and came home on a Wolter double to deep left-center.

“We fielded ground balls pretty well, the innings that killed us, we gave them extra outs,” Petschke said. “If we give them a fourth, fifth, sixth out in an inning, we’re going to be in trouble. We don’t have the depth on the mound and we’re very young. Psyche-wise, they were very good, we’re a very young team and they were in it until the last out.”

Wolter had a single, a double and walked once for the Jaguars, while Kester walked and was hit by a pitch. Musser was hit by two pitches and walked twice, while Jacob Moeller walked once.

Steuber singled and walked, Jonah Hackett hit a sinlge and walked once, Kruse added a single and Benck walked twice and scored a run.

The Jaguars (0-1) play host to Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton at 5 p.m. tonight in Truman.

MTLAC 300 004 0 — 7 6 0

TMLGHEC 110 001 1 — 4 5 1

Owen Wolter (LP), Luke Kester (5), Kaiden Musser (6), Jonah Heckett (7) and Matthew Steuber. Tyler Dick (WP), Alex Blom (4) and Kolby Kremmin.

LOB–TMLGHEC 13; MLAC 3. 2B–Owen Wolter (TMLGHEC), Ian Penner (MLAC).

Blue Earth Area 6, Windom Area 2 — Leadoff batter Keegan O’Brien drilled an RBI triple and scored three runs to help power the Bucs to a four-run victory over the Eagles during Big South Conference action Monday night in Blue Earth.

Blue Earth Area starting pitcher Anthony Carr demonstrated outstanding command of his deliveries, striking out five without issuing a walk in five innings of work to earn the win. Carr gave up one run on only three hits.

Logan O’Hara allowed one run on one hit and two walks in two innings of relief to notch the save for the Bucs.

O’Brien walked and eventually scored when Anders Fering’s grounder was mishandled in the bottom of the first, reached on an error in the third and scored on Ryan Madetzke’s two-run double, and later walked and crossed the plate on Adam Schavey’s RBI double in the fourth. Ironically, O’Brien tripled home Cole Warmka in the sixth, but was stranded. Warmka, who scored twice on the game, doubled in the Bucs’ last at-bat.

Madetzke went 2-for-3 to top BEA’s six-hit effort, Luke Schonborn added a single, while Luke Mertens walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

Blue Earth Area (2-0) travels to Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial on Thursday.

Windom 000 010 1 — 2 4 3

BE Area 102 201 x — 6 6 0

St. James Area 9, Martin County West 1 — Unearned runs hurt the Mavericks in nonconference baseball action Monday in Welcome.

Zach Anderson started on the mound for the Mavericks and pitched 1 1/3 innings, while allowing only one hit. Anderson gave up six runs, only two earned, on five walks, while adding one strikeout.

Christian Bachenberg came out from behind the plate to pitch in relief, going 2 1/3 innings and allowing three runs, none earned, on three hits and two walks, while striking out two.

Lucas Jagodzinske made his seasonal debut on the mound next, pitching three innings and allowing no runs on two hits and a walk, while striking out three. Jesse Potts came on for the final out.

Bachenberg had a double and a run scored for the Maverick offense, while Jaxson Rohman had a single and an RBI.

Wyatt Williamson hit a single and walked for the Mavericks.

Tanner Olson pitched four innings for the Saints, allowing one run on three hits and no walks, while striking out six. Alex Stresemann pitched the final three innings for St. James Area, allowing two hits and one walk for no runs, while striking out two.

MCW (0-2, 0-0) goes to Cleveland for a 4:30 p.m. game Thursday.

SJA 061 200 0 — 9

MCW 100 000 0 — 1

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Prep Softball

St. James Area 5, Fairmont 0 — Ace hurler Addie Bowers fired a two-hit shutout to steer the Saints to the Big South Conference win over the youthful Cardinals on Monday night in St. James.

Allison Janssen and Kaitlyn Scott each singled for Fairmont to spoil Bowers’ no-hit bid.

Nevaeh Rahm struck out nine, walked five and gave up five runs — three earned — on nine hits in six innings pitched for the Cardinals.

The Saints scored two runs in the third inning, followed by solo runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth to back Bowers’ complete-game pitching performance.

Fairmont (0-2) is scheduled to play host to New Ulm at 5:30 p.m. today at Cardinal Park.

Gabbie Leiding pitched a complete game to help pace Fairmont’s 8-3 triumph over St. James Area during junior varsity action Monday in St. James.

Leiding displayed solid control by striking out seven without issuing a walk in seven innings of work to net the win.

Ava Terfehr singled and scored three runs to top the Cardinals’ offense, Ella Klunder supplied a double, while Lili Bulfer contributed a single.

Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 18, Blue Earth Area 1 — The Knights coasted to the run-rule nonconference victory over the Bucs on Monday in Lake Crystal.

Kylee Eckmann reached on a bunt and wheeled to third base on an error before later scoring on Kylee Johnson’s RBI out to account for the Bucs’ lone run.

Blue Earth Area is scheduled to travel to New Richland today.