Nathan Ehnstrom threw a Complete Game for Aitkin as the Steam downed the Freeport Black Sox 10-5 in a game played at Blattner Field in Avon on Friday night. Ehnstrom allowed 13 hits but struck out 7 while Jake McGuire carried the offense with 4 hits including 2 doubles and a triple and driving in 4 runs for the Steam. Matt Johnson was 2-5 with a double and drove in 2 runs for the Black Sox. Freeport ends the regular season with a record of 4-7 while Aitkin improves to 4-6, and the Steam will play their regular season finale at Randall on Sunday. The Cubs are currently 5-5. The winner of the Aitkin/Randall game will lock up the #6 seed in the Playoffs while the loser will be the #7 seed.
Aitkin got to Black Sox starter Jadin Norby for 2 runs in the top of the 1st when Nolan Dotzler singled with 1 out, followed by a Nathan Ehnstrom single. Jake Ince then walked with 2 outs to load the bases. A walk to Carson Kullhem force din Dotzler to make it 1-0, then Hunter Hills was hit by a pitch from Norby to bring in Ehnstrom and make it 2-0.
Aitkin added another 3 runs in the 2nd when Owen Foday led off with a walk and went to 2nd on a passed ball. Nolan Dotzler then singled with 1 out to move Foday to 3rd. An rbi single from Nathan Ehnstrom drove in Foday to make it 3-0. Jake McGuire then doubled to drive in both Dotzler and Ehnstrom to put the Steam ahead 5-0.
Aitkin scored again in the 3rd when Carson Kullhem bunted and reached safely on an error that allowed Kullhem to advance all the way to 3rd. Owen Foday then brought Kullhem home with a 2-out rbi single to make it 6-0.
Freeport got on the board in the bottom of the 4th when Carter Neuenschwander singled with 2 outs, followed by a hit from Ben Millard. A 3rd straight hit, this one from Brady Hoppe, loaded the bases for Freeport with no outs. Mason Toutges kept the hit parade going with an rbi single to score Neuenschwander and make it 6-1. Ryan Liebrenz then singled to left to drive in Millard and it was a 6-2 game before Nathan Ehnstrom got the final out on a ground out to 3rd.
In the top of the 6th, Jake McGuire doubled with 1 out and scored on a single from Jake Ince to make it 7-2.
Freeport opened the bottom of the 6th with 3 straight hits from Mason Toutges, Ryan Liebrenz and Bryan Benson to load the bases. Matt Johnson then doubled to center to drive in Toutges and Liebrenz to make it 7-4 with Benson thrown out at the plate on the play for the first out of the inning. The Sox then re-loaded the bases with 2 outs when Iver Papke was hit by a pitch and Carter Neuenschwander walked, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate. But Nathan Ehnstrom struck out Ben Millard to finish the inning with Aitkin leading 7-4 after 6 innings.
Aitkin got one of those runs back in the top of the 7th when Thorin Dunham was hit by pitch, followed by a single from Owen Foday. Dunham then scored on a 1-out error to put Aitkin ahead 8-4. With 2 outs, Jake McGuire cracked a 2-run triple to right, putting the Steam up 10-4.
Freeport scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the 8th when Matt Johnson singled with 1 out, followed by a single from Jake Braegelmann. An Iver Papke ground out allowed Johnson to score from 3rd and made the score 10-5.
Nathan Ehnstrom then retired the Black Sox in order in the bottom of the 9th to finish off the Steam’s 10-5 victory.
Aitkin 10 14 3 – 10
Freeport 5 13 2 – 5
WP: Nathan Ehnstrom 9.0IP 5 runs 13 hits 7k 2bb 1hp
LP: Jadin Norby 3.0IP 6 runs 6 hits 3k 3bb 1hp
Kaden Toutges 4.0IP 4 runs 7 hits 5k 2bb 1hp
Carter Neuenschwander 2.0IP 0 runs 1 hit 5k 1bb
Steam:
John McGuire 0-4
– Mark Rhode 0-2
Nolan Dotzler 3-6 3 runs
Nathan Ehnstorm 2-5 bb, rbi, 2 runs
Jake McGuire 4-6 2B(2), 3B, 4 rbi, run
Jake Ince 1-3 3bb, rbi
Carson Kullhem 1-4 bb, rbi, run
Hunter Hills 0-4 hp, rbi
Thorin Dunham 0-4 hp, run
Owen Foday 3-4 bb, rbi, 2 runs
Black Sox:
Ryan Liebrenz 2-5 run
Bryan Benson 2-5
Matt Johnson 2-5 2B, 2 rbi, run
Jake Braegelmann 1-5
Iver Papke 1-4 hp, rbi
Carter Neuenschwander 0-4 bb, run
Ben Millard 2-5 run
Brady Hoppe 1-3 bb, rbi
– Jadin Norby
– Kaden Toutges
– Ben Mettenburg 0-1
Mason Toutges 2-5 rbi, run
– Nathan Winter 0-0