By Bruce Karnick

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The Hastings Raiders baseball team is on a roll after defeating their opponents by a combined 305 in the first four games of the season. Even with a 40 record, there has been one frustration this season: the weather. Rain and cold is common in the spring in Minnesota. Common does not make it less frustrating or enjoyable for the guys and a few games have already been postponed due to the weather. The few games that have been postponed could come back and cause issues with the schedule and available pitchers, but that will need to be seen.

First up on April 19 was Two Rivers High School. Two Rivers jumped out to an early 20 lead and held it until the bottom of the third. Hastings scored four to take the lead, then added one in the fourth and one in the fifth to extend the lead to 62 which is where the game ended.

Offensively for Hastings, Carson Thuet and Tanner Anselment lead the team with two RBIs each. Connor Stoffel and Evan Nelson drove in the remaining two. Thuet and Alex Hendrickson each had a double, Jackson Schaffer had a triple. Anslement, Schaffer and Stoffel each had a stolen base. Defensively, Odman pitched seven innings allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

April 21, South St. Paul came to town in a game that was all Hastings. The Raiders took a 20 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back scoring four in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth and one in the sixth to win 122 by the 10 runs after the fifth inning mercy rule.

Offensively, Mitch Iliff had four RBIs, Stoffel and Hendrickson each had two, Anselment and Jarod Neuville each had one. Schaffer stole three bases, Hendrickson two and Cade Kimmes one. Defensively, Stoffel pitched the sixinning complete game allowing two runs on four hits, striking out nine and walking one.

The next chance to see the Raiders in action is April 27 when they host HillMurray at 4:30, then April 29 when they travel to Apple Valley for a 4:15 first pitch. The boys also travel on Monday May 2 to North St. Paul for a 4:30 game and then travel to Two Rivers on May 4, also a 4:30 game.

Photo by Bruce Karnick

Photo by Bruce Karnick

Starting Catcher Johnny Teigland had a great game behind the plate helping lead the Raiders to a 62 win over Two Rivers. Catchers play just as important of a role as pitchers do in strategizing for the game, if not more so, and Teigland has great baseball knowledge.