SAFE SLIDE — Martin County West runner Raef Omvig (left) slides safely ahead of the throw to Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman pitcher Carson Hastad covering the plate on a wild pitch during Valley Conference baseball action Tuesday night in Welcome. (Photo by Greg Abel)

WELCOME — The Martin County West Mavericks baseball team used Riley Kascht’s solid pitching and timely hitting to beat the Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman Jaguars 7-3 on Tuesday at the Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome.

“Riley pitched a heck of a game,” MCW head coach Phil Rotunda said. “Once we scored our first run, it took some of the pressure off our offense and Riley’s pitching. I knew we could score more runs after the first one.”

The Jaguars built a 3-0 lead on the strength of just two hits, a wild pitch and a fielding error, but the Mavericks roared back to score the final seven runs of the game.

MCW scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and three more in the sixth to help make Kascht the winning pitcher and saddle Jaguars’ starter Luke Kester with the loss.

Kester pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs on six hits, seven walks, one hit batter and struck out four. Carson Hastad pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up no runs, no hits, one walk and struck out one.

Kascht pitched the first six innings for the Mavericks, giving up three runs while scattering three hits, walking three, hitting two batters and striking out five.

Lucas Larson pitched the top of the seventh for the Mavericks and retired three of the four hitters he faced. One reached on an error and advanced to third on a balk, but was left stranded.

“Riley’s pitching kept us close until we finally scored some runs,” Rotunda said. “Getting some big hits with runners in scoring position was big for us.”

The Jaguars scored a run in the top of the first inning. Matthew Steuber walked to start the inning, moved to third on consecutive ground outs and scored on a wild pitch.

In the fourth inning, the Jaguars added two more runs to make it a 3-0 game.

Griffin Studer singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a Mavericks’ fielding error. Carter Brudelie was hit by a pitch and came came around to score on Kester’s two-out single.

The Mavericks put four runs on the board in their half of the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead. They sent 10 batters to the plate, and left the bases loaded.

Clarke led off with a single, moved to second after a Wyatt Williamson walk and scored on a one-out Lucas Larson single.

Kascht doubled home the second run of the inning, plating Williamson and scored the go-ahead run when Zach Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk.

In the four-run fourth, the Mavericks had three hits and drew four walks.

Kascht was dominant on the mound, holding the one-run lead. He retired the Jaguars in order in the fifth and escaped a jam in the sixth by collecting a strikeout and a fielder’s choice.

The Mavericks added three insurance runs in the sixth.

Tyson Thiesse led off by getting hit by a pitch, but Kester was able to get a strikeout before yielding Raef Omvig’s single into right-center, sending Thiesse to third. Rotunda inserted pinch runner Jeremiah Olson for Thiesse and he scored on Cody Potts’ single.

Omvig and Potts scored on back-to-back wild pitches to make it a 7-3 game. Hastad got out of the inning without further damage.

Larson came in to pitch the seventh and did not give up a run or walk before retiring the final hitter on a pop out to Anderson at shortstop.

Kascht and Larson held the Jaguars hitters to a 3-for-27 day at the plate, a .111 batting average.

“We’ve had good pitching and defense, but our hitting is hit-and-miss,” Jaguars head coach Jordan Petschke said before the game.

The day before the Jaguars scored nine runs in a 9-5 win over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial, but Rotunda’s pitchers were able to shut them down 24 hours later.

Six different Mavericks had hits — Clarke, Cam Meyer, Larson, Kascht, Omvig and Potts.

For the Jaguars, Kester, Studer and Carter Langford had their hits.

Martin County West (3-3) travels to Mankato East’s Wolverton Field for a 5 p.m. game Thursday against Mankato Loyola, while the Jaguars (4-4) host St. Clair at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Both are Valley Conference games.

MLGT       100 200 0–3 3 1

MCW        000 403 x–7 6 4

Luke Kester (LP), Carson Hastad (6) and Matthew Steuber. Riley Kascht (WP), Lucas Larson (7) and Cam Meyer.

LOB–MLGHECT 9, MCW 5. 2B–Riley Kascht (MCW).

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Prep Softball

Martin County West 19, Martin Luther/GHEC/Truman 4 — Thea Anderson went 4-for-4 from the batter’s box to ignite the Mavericks’ 17-hit barrage en route to a 15-run rule win in four innings over the Jaguars during Valley Conference softball action Tuesday night in Truman.

Thea Anderson tripled and singled three times to produce a game-best three RBIs, while Maddie Carlson collected three hits — including a double — to knock home two runs for MCW.

Hannah Rosenberg generated three hits and two RBIs for the Mavericks, Marah Steele contributed three hits and one RBI to the winning performance, while Emily Anderson chipped in two RBIs on two hits.

Carlson allowed four runs on five hits, struck out five and did not issue a walk in three innings pitched to earn the win for MCW. Lina Arnold struck out one in one hitless and scoreless inning of relief.

Londyn Bowers belted a two-run home run during the Jaguars’ four-run bottom of the first inning, while teammate Addison Sill produced two of the home team’s five hits.

Mandy Pytleski gave up 17 runs on 15 hits, struck out four and walked one in 3 1/3 innings pitched to take the loss for the Jaguars.

Martin County West (7-3) plays host to Adrian/Ellsworth at 4 p.m. today at Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome.

The Jaguars travel to Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial on Thursday.