For the first time in franchise history, the Aitkin Steam have won a Region Tournament game as they defeated the St. Wendel Saints 5-1 on Saturday in a Region 9C Elimination game in Pierz. Nathan Ehnstrom went the distance for the Steam, striking out 9 and limiting the Saints to 7 hits. Jake McGuire went 3-3 with 2 doubles to lead the Aitkin offense. Logan Harren and Jacob Worlie had 2 hits each for St. Wendel.
St. Wendel scored in the bottom of the 1st when Tyler Huls led off with a double against Nathan Ehnstrom, then tagged up and went to 3rd on a Logan Harren fly ball to center. Brandon Dickmann put the Saints on the board with a sacrifice fly, scoring Huls to make it 1-0.
Aitkin took the lead in the top of the 3rd when when Carson Kullhem singled with 1 out, then Zack Ehnstrom reached on an error. After Saints starter Austin Dickmann fanned Nolan Dotzler for the 2nd out, a passed ball moved runners to 2nd and 3rd. Nathan Ehnstrom then singled to center, scoring both Kullhem and Ehnstrom to put Aitkin ahead 2-1.
In the top of the 6th, Jake McGuire led off with a double for the Steam, followed by a single from Drew Paulbeck. After a strikeout, a sacrifice fly by Tucker Holm brought in McGuire to make it 3-1.
The Steam tacked on their final 2 runs in the top of the 8th when Jake McGuire led off with an single and then scored on an rbi double from Drew Paulbeck to make it 4-1. Then with 2 outs, Owen Foday singled , driving in Paulbeck to make it 5-1.
Nathan Ehnstrom was in control throughout, as he allowed only 1 baserunner for St. Wendel to reach 3rd after the 1st inning. And that happened in the 9th when Jake Ethen walked, followed by a force out from Tanner Reis. Jacob Worlie then doubled, sending Reis to 3rd, but Ehnstorm ended the game with a pop out to 2nd and a strikeout to lock down the Steam’s 5-1 win.
Aitkin now advances to next Saturday at 1:00 pm in Opole where they will face the loser of Sundays game between the Pierz Brewers and the Randall Cubs.
With the loss to the Steam, St. Wendel’s season comes to an end.
Aitkin 5 9 1 – 5
St. Wendel 1 7 1 – 1
WP: Nathan Ehnstrom 9.0IP 1 run 7 hits 9k 2bb
LP: Austin Dickmann 7.0IP 5 runs 8 hits 10k 2bb
Rolando Ramos 2.0IP 0 runs 1 hit 1k 2bb 1hp
Steam:
Zack Ehnstrom 0-4 hp, run
Nolan Dotzler 1-4 bb
Nathan Ehnstrom 1-5 2 rbi
Jake McGuire 3-3 2B(2), 2bb, 2 runs
Drew Paulbeck 2-4 2B, bb, sb, rbi, run
Thor Dunham 0-4 sac
Tucker Holm 0-3 sac fly, rbi
Owen Foday 1-4 rbi
Carson Kullhem 1-4 run
Saints:
Tyler Huls 1-4 2B, run
Logan Harren 2-4 2B
Brandon Dickmann 1-3 sac fly, rbi
Austin Dickmann 04
– Will Ethen 0-0
Jake Ethen 0-3 bb
Tanner Reis 1-3 bb
Jacob Worlie 2-4 2B
Aiden Micholski 0-4
Rolando Ramos 0-4