Starting pitchers Ethan Mueller and Luke Illies were too much for the host Kimball Area Cubs, as the two juniors each threw complete five-inning games while the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team earned a series sweep tonight. Game scores were 10-0 in the first game and 11-1 in the second game.
Illies fired 8 strikeouts with three hits in game two, and Mueller had 5 strikeouts while pitching a two-hitter in the opener. This was a great way for the team to recover from what was a tough outing at Eden Valley two nights prior.
Kimball Area falls to 2-5 overall and 1-5 in the Central Minnesota Conference.
Next: the Jaguars (5-2, 4-1) have a big game coming next Monday, when they host neighboring rival Paynesville Area in Elrosa in a 4:30 p.m. CMC game. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 5 in the latest Class 2A Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association rankings, were 5-0 heading into today's doubleheader at Holdingford. Both the Bulldogs and Huskers were the last teams without a loss in the CMC heading into today, so the standings could be completely shaken up depending on how those games transpired.
Other updates are coming here later tonight. I also have to get the newspaper website updated. I got a little gardening done before it got dark while planting more zucchini and spinach. Also this evening, I enjoyed time at O'Gara Stadium in Sauk Centre for the track and field meet. It was windy but sunny! The high reached around 72 degrees today, which was marvelous. It felt great to be outside.
At Sauk Centre, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' track and field team tied for sixth place with Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (28 points each). In eighth place was Paynesville Area with 5 points. Montevideo took fifth place with 74 points. Sauk Centre was first with a whopping 217 points. B-B-E junior distance runner Taylor Nelson earned fourth place out of 27 runners with a time of 5:14.83. In the 3200, Nelson also had a great performance with a fifth-place finish out of 12 runners and a time of 11:22.11.
Friday morning update...Paynesville Area has taken early control of the Central Minnesota Conference baseball standings...they swept Holdingford in their doubleheader by scores of 10-3 and 7-4. The Huskers fall to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the CMC, while the Bulldogs are now 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the CMC. This sets up another battle for first place next Monday, with Paynesville traveling to Elrosa to face our second-place Jaguars. On a weather-related note...it does not look promising at all for the fastpitch team's home game with Benson. The forecast shows thunderstorms and rain all throughout the afternoong and into the evening.
*Second Friday update...today's fastpitch game with Benson is postponed to Tuesday, April 30 at the same time and location.
Central MN Conference baseball scores on April 25:
Royalton 4, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 0
Eden Valley-Watkins 6, Maple Lake 3
Paynesville Area 7, Holdingford 4
Paynesville Area 10, Holdingford 3
Area baseball scores on April 25:
New London-Spicer 10, Watertown-Mayer 8
Breckenridge 5, Hawley 2
West Central Area 4, Benson 2
Albany 4, Pequot Lakes 0
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 11, Sauk Centre 1
