The Pierz Bulldogs took a 7-2 lead after 3 innings at Hellie Field against the Aitkin Steam, then Aitkin scored 5 times in the 5th to tie it at 7-7. The Bulldogs got an rbi triple from Teddy Dehler and a run-scoring single from Mason Herold in the bottom of the 5th to regain the 9-7 lead, then the relief staff of Cody Weiss and Brian Kiel held Aitkin scoreless the rest of the day as the Bulldogs open the season with a 9-7 win.
The Aitkin Steam grabbed an early lead at Hellie Field as Nathan Ehnstrom singled with 2 outs off Bulldogs starter Reese Young, then a Landon Janzen rbi double goave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs tied it up in the bottom of the bottom of the 1st when Reese Young was hit by a Nathan Ehnstrom pitch and Craig Luberts singled to center to move Young to 3rd. Sawyer Lochner then grounded into a double play with Reese Young coming home to tie the game at 1-1.
The Bulldogs then pulled ahead with a 4-run bottom of the 2nd. Teddy Dehler started the rally with a single, then after a pair of strikeouts, a single by Kyle Hastings moved Dehler to 2nd. Link Toops then reached on an error to fill the bases. Reese Young then ripped a bases-clearing double for his first hit as a Bulldog to make it 4-1. Craig Luberts then hit a pop up that was dropped for an error, allowing Young to score to make it 5-1.
In the top of the 3rd, the Steam got a lead-off single from Zach Ehnstrom and an rbi single from Landon Janzen to make it 5-2.
The Bulldogs came right back in the bottom of the 3rd with a Cooper Grashorn single, followed by a single from Teddy Dehler. Cody Weiss then put down a sacrifice bunt and with an error on the play allowing Grashorn to score, the Bulldogs were up 6-2. 2 outs later, Link Toops collected an rbi single to plate Cody Weiss to make it 7-2 after 3 innings.
After a scoreless 4th inning, the Steam erupted for 5 runs in the top of the 5th to tie the game at 7-7. Zach Ehnstrom led off with a double to center, followed by an infield single from John McGuire. Nathan Ehnstrom then doubled to right to bring home Zach Ehnstorm and chase McGuire to 3rd in a 7-3 game. Landon Janzen then hit a fly ball to the outfield that was misplayed for an error, allowing John McGuire to score and it was 7-4 with still no outs. After an infield pop up and a strikeout, Keyon Wesner singled to drive in both Nathan Ehnstrom and Landon Janzen to make it a 7-6 game. Thorin Dunham then tied the game with an rbi triple and the Steam were even at 7-7 before Reese Young got a strikeout to end the inning.
Cooper Grashorn opened the bottom of the 5th with a single to left, then Teddy Dehler put the Bulldogs back in front with a triple to center and Pierz was back in front 8-7. 1 out later, a Mason Herold rbi single brought in Dehler to make it 9-7 after 5 innings.
Cody Weiss took over the pitching duties for Pierz in the 6th and got 2 quick outs before walking Nathan Ehnstrom. After a passed ball and a wild pitch moved Ehnstrom to 3rd, the Dogs brought in Brian Kiel to pitch and he got Landon Janzen to ground out to shortstop Reese Young to end the inning.
In the top of the 7th, Aitkin got a 1-out double from Drew Paulbeck to bring the tying run to the plate. But Brian Kiel got a pop out to shortstop and a strikeout to keep it a 7-5 game at the 7th inning stretch.
The bottom of the 7th and both halves of the 8th went 1-2-3, so Aitkin came up in the 9th still trailing 9-7. Nathan Ehnstrom led off with a single, but then Brian Kiel got a big double play ball when Landon Janzen hit into a 6-4-3 (Reese Young-Jackson Thielen-Link Toops) double play. The game then ended on a John McGuire fly out to center fielder Sawyer Lochner to finish off the Bulldogs 9-7 win.
Aitkin 7 12 4 – 7
Pierz Bulldogs 9 10 1 – 9
WP: Reese Young 5.0 IP 7 runs 10 hits 10k 0bb
Cody Weiss 0.2IP 0 runs 0 hits 0k 1bb
SV: Brian Kiel 3.1 IP 0 runs 2 hits 2k 0bb
LP: Thorin Dunham 4.0 IP 2 runs 3 hits 4k 0bb
Nathan Ehnstrom 3.0 IP 7 runs 7 hits 2k 0bb 1hp
Zach Ehnstrom 1.0 IP 0 runs 0 hits 1k 0bb
Bulldogs:
Reese Young 1-3 2B, sb, 3 rbi, 2 runs
Craig Luberts 1-3
– Brayden Haberman
– Jackson Thielen 0-1
Sawyer Lochner 0-4
Cooper Grashorn 2-4 2 runs
Teddy Dehler 3-4 3B, rbi, 2 runs
Cody Weiss 0-2 run
– Brian Kiel 0-1
– Kirby Fischer 0-1
Mason Herold 1-3 sb, rbi
– Grady Young 0-1
Kyle Hastings 1-3 rbi, run
Link Toops 1-3 rbi, run
– Max Barclay 0-1
Steam:
Zach Ehnstrom 2-5 2B, 2 runs
John McGuire 1-4 run
– Owen Foday
– Carter Maslowski 0-1
Nathan Ehnstrom 3-4 2B, bb, rbi, 2 runs
Landon Janzen 2-5 2B, sb, 2 rbi, run
Jake McGuire 0-5
Drew Paulbeck 1-4 2B
Keyon Wesner 2-4 2 rbi, run
Thorin Dunham 1-4 3B, rbi
John Pelarski 0-4