By Mike Bialka
Contributing Writer
JORDAN — In 2023, the Lyon’s Pub Warriors carried the No. 1 seed into the Class B state amateur baseball tournament but were bumped off by Anoka in the first round.
The Warriors were hoping to avoid a similar fate again in Friday’s opening round of the 2024 tournament. But it wasn’t easy as Lyon’s had to overcome 1- and 2-run deficits for a 6-4 win over the New Market Muskies. Lyon’s advances to the second round against the Andover Aces/Highland Park Beavers winner 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, at Green Isle.
“Two years in a row we’ve had undefeated league seasons, then we come in last year and crap the bed basically,” Lyons manager Rob Schildgen said, “So we’re pretty pumped about this one. We needed to get the first one out of the way. Hopefully we just keep it up.”
The Warriors, who registered just six hits and stranded 12 baserunners, scored four times without a hit in the seventh for a 6-4 edge. Two New Market pitchers combined to issue six walks in the inning, three with the bases filled.
With no outs in the top of the eighth, and Muskies runners at first and second, Lyon’s right-hander Nate Shoemaker entered to get a ground-ball out and two strikeouts to extinguish the threat.
In the ninth, Shoemaker retired New Market lead-off hitter Jake Lundquist on a pop-up. The Muskies’ Alex Berreth followed by crushing a solo home run to right-center for the final score. The Warriors’ Lincoln Berry then singled before Shoemaker retired the next two hitters to end the contest.
Berreth, a left-handed stick, finished 4-for-5 with three RBI.
“He can swing,” Shoemaker said. “They all can. They have a bunch of really good players. I know some of them from playing with Minnesota Mash and they do things right.
“(Berreth) he’s a very good hitter and he showed me he’s a good hitter. They’re a really good ball team.”
Shoemaker, who played baseball two years at Creighton and a year at St. Thomas before finishing his college career playing two years of football for the Tommies, was named player of the game for earning a save. He said he’s become accustomed to pitching late in games this summer.
“My mindset, like I was saying over there (in the player of the game interview), was keeping the ball in the zone,” Shoemaker said. “Usually when you walk people, things don’t go super well. I really love our defense. I think we play really good baseball. If I get (the ball) in the zone, get the ball on the ground or in the air, those guys will make the plays for me.”
Van Ort, who relieved starter John Spanier in the seventh, walked three of the six batters he faced but got the win. Spanier went six innings, allowing eight hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
“Spanier didn’t have his best stuff today,” Schildgen said, “but the next two guys came in and did their job. Everyone knew it was all hands on deck so we had two more guys ready to go if needed.”
