Blue Anchors Lose Split Doubleheader to Willmar and Waterloo

August 5, 2013 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Alexandria Blue Anchors News Release


Willmar, Minn. - The Alexandria Blue Anchors narrowly avoided being no-hit by the Willmar Stingers as they lost 6-1 at Bill Taunton Stadium Sunday afternoon. Then they fell to the Waterloo Bucks 12-1 at Knute Nelson Memorial Park Sunday night. The Anchors are now 11-18 in the second half and 21-42 overall.

Scott Sanderson worked four shutout innings to start the ballgame but ran into trouble in the fifth. Colton Bottomley worked a double to start the inning and went to third on a sacrifice bunt from Kyle Perry. Joke Gronsky singled home Bottomley to put Willmar up 1-0 and he moved to second on a Tyler Leffler base hit. Danny Brennan then provided a single of his own which scored Gronsky to push the Stingers' lead to 2-0. Leffler came around to score on a Marc Flores groundout and Michael Suchy provided a two-out double to plate Brennan and put Alexandria in a 4-0 hole.

The depleted Blue Anchors pitching staff had to turn to a position player to finish out the game and catcher Aaron Gretz toed the rubber. He pitched a shutout sixth but allowed allowed a couple of two-out runs in the seventh. Leffler reached on a Keegan Dale error and went to second on a Danny Brennan walk. After Flores flied out, Suchy walked to load the bases and a double by Max Kuhn drove in two runs to extend Willmar's lead to 6-0.

The Blue Anchors were in danger of being no-hit by Andrew Woeck but they got on the board in the ninth. Dalton Leuschke reached on an error to start the inning and he was erased on a Georgie Salem fielder's choice. Woeck, one out away from a no-hitter, allowed a double to Kris Goodman, scoring Salem and making the score 6-1.

Sanderson (3-3) took the loss pitching 4.2 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Taylor Simpson pitched .1 innings striking out the only batter he faced. Gretz pitched three innings allowing two runs, none earned, on two hits with a punch out and two walks.

Minnesota Baseball Academy Player of the Game - Aaron Gretz (P) - Gretz provided much needed relief for the Anchors as he pitched three great innings. He has never pitched in a collegiate game.

Game Two

Alexandria, Minn-The Alexandria Blue Anchors fell to the Waterloo Bucks 12-1 at Knute Nelson Memorial Park Sunday evening. The loss dropped the Anchors to 11-18 in the 2nd half and 21-42 overall.

The Bucks gained an early 1-0 lead against Kevin Hatcher in the first. The bases were loaded with no outs as Pat MacKenzie walked, Connor McClain singled and Chesny Young walked. A walk to John Ziznewski forced in one run giving Waterloo a 1-0 lead. A line-drive double-play by Marcos Calderon got Hatcher out of the jam to end the first inning.

The Blue Anchors were able to knot the score with two-outs in the bottom of the first as Albert Baur and Ryan Blanchard hit back-to-back doubles against Eric Stout to tie the game at one.

Waterloo was able to regain the lead in the top of the third. Young drew a one-out walk and Ziznewski hit a homer to dead-center putting the Bucks up 3-1.

Hatcher ran into more trouble in the fourth as he walked Will Sparks and Kyle Pollock to start the inning. A groundout to third by Blake Hickman moved both runners into scoring position and MacKenzie drove in two with a single to right increasing the Bucks advantage to 5-1. After McClain flied out, Young walked and pulled off a double steal with MacKenzie to put the runners in scoring position. A base hit from John Ziznewski scored both runners and gave Waterloo a 7-1 lead.

Taylor Simpson came in to pitch the fifth and allowed a lead-off walk to David Kerian and one-out single to Will Sparks. Then Pollock went deep to left-center field for a three-run bomb putting the Anchors in a 10-1 hole.

Jake Hanzalik came in to make his Blue Anchor debut in the sixth and was pitching well until he lost the zone with two outs. With Ziznewski on first, Calderon singled and Sparks walked to load the bases. Pollock drew a walk to bring in one run and a wild pitch scored Calderon to make the score 12-1 in the Bucks favor.

Hatcher (0-4) received the loss going four innings allowing seven runs on six hits and seven walks with three strikeouts. Simpson gave three runs on two hits and two walks with a strikeout in one inning. Hanzalik threw one inning and walked four and gave up one base hit letting in two runs. Ryan Blanchard threw three scoreless innings of relief give up just a hit and a walk with one punch out.

Minnesota Baseball Academy Player of the Game - Ryan Blanchard (LF, P) - Another position player found his way onto the mound and did quite well. In three innings he allowed just two base runners and had a strikeout. At the plate he drove in the only run with a double in the first.

Notes: Gretz and Blanchard are the first two position players to pitch for the Blue Anchors...Shea Molitor made his debut for Alexandria and collected a base hit and a walk...The Blue Anchors finished 1-7 against the Stingers in 2013...Jake Bergren played in his first game since June 11th and drew a walk...4.2 innings is a season-high for Sanderson...The Blue Anchors look to even the series with the Bucks Monday...Taking the hill is RHP Corey Fitzgerald (0-7, 6.90)...Monday is Kids Night, all kids 12 and under get in for free, with post-game autographs...The game, starting at 7:05 p.m., can be seen live at www.youtube.com/user/NorthwoodsLeague.



Northwoods League Stories from August 5, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central