By Bruce Karnick

[email protected]

The most important game of the season for the Hastings Hawks took place Friday, July 1, against the Red Wing Aces and it was a fun one. It was so fun, the guys wanted to keep playing after nine innings to see who would earn the number one spot in the CCVL for Class C. The game went a full 12 to decide, but how did it shake out?

Will Lavin started on the mound for Hastings pitching two impressive innings before giving way to veteran lefty Jordan Jeske. Jeske pitched lights out for the next seven innings, and he gave way to rookie Jackson Tessman, who finished the game on the mound.

Lavin and Jeske combined for 131 pitches with 10 strikeouts, two walks and only five hits. Those five hits were scattered over nine innings and the Aces only managed to get a runner to second a scattered five times as well, never really threatening during the regulation nine. Hastings managed a few more runners to second and even had a chance with Jackson Schaeffer reaching third in the third inning but could not capitalize.

In print, the game sounds boring, this game was anything but because it was a true pitchers duel. Both teams were kept off balance all night by tremendous jobs on the mound by pitchers from both teams. It was shaping up to be a game of ‘which defense was going to get tired first.’ In the tenth, Brodie Smith led off for the Aces with a walk, then stole second. This is where the Hawks defense began to tire. On the stolen base, catcher Jake Sandquist made a throw to second that hooked right and hit the tip of Isaac Flynn’s glove caroming into right field. The issue was the backup is logically coming from center. That gave Smith the opportunity to get to third and have a throwing error assigned to Sandquist.

After walking Smith, Tessman settled down nicely and struck out Mitch Matter. Then Dixon Irwin came to the plate. With a runner at third and one out, the infield was playing in for the sacrifice bunt. Irwin crushed a grounder right at Flynn, but because he was at such a shallow depth, he did not react quick ly enough to snag it and stop the run from scoring. In fact, he did not snag it at all, and the ball rolled into right for an error, scoring Smith. Tessman and the Hawks got the next two outs to retire the side and they were down to their final three outs.

Jake Biermaier has been struggling at the plate this season, hitting around .160, and he was the lead off hitter for the bottom of the tenth. Unfortunately, Biermaier sat down fairly quickly for out number one. Schaeffer hit the first pitch into a 43 out giving the Hawks one final out to do something with.

Cory Wolters hit a hard fly ball to right center and the Hawks had a runner at second with two outs. Flynn had a chance to redeem himself and he came up huge driving a hard ground ball up the middle scoring Wolters and tying the game at one.

The eleventh inning was a quick 123 for both pitchers and Tessman was performing well on the mound for Hastings.

Red Wing started with a lead off single to left from Zach Harding, a wild pitch sent him to second. Smith hit a single almost mirroring Harding’s and all of a sudden, Red Wing had two on with no outs. Smith stole second and two runners were in scoring position. Matter was intentionally walked to load the bases and make the force out be at home. Irwin hit a single scoring two then stole second. Grant Rolen flew out to center and Marcus Walm came to the plate. Matter stole third and the second throwing error of the night by Sandquist allowed Matter to score giving the Aces a 41 lead. Walm then hit a line drive to left center and Wolters ended up with the ball. He quickly threw into Sandquist at home, and they had Irwin in a short rundown. Sandquist tossed it to Ben Bundschu who tagged Irwin out. In the process, Walm made it to third with some very smart baserunning. Reese Trip hit into a 53 ground out to end the inning.

Hastings was unable to muster much offense in the bottom of the twelfth inning and they fell 41 to Red Wing. The win by the Aces secured first place for them in the CCVL Class C standings.

Red Wing Aces – 40 Hastings Hawks – 32 Cannon Falls Bears – 12 Lake City Serpents – 04 Everyone plays each other twice. The tie breaker comes down to headtohead, so if the series is split 11, the next tie breaker is record against Class B teams in the CCVL. That is why the win for Hastings was so important to get. They hold the tie breaker over Red Wing. Now, looking at the remaining games, there are a few scenarios that could shake out.

1. Red Wing wins their remaining two games against Cannon and Lake City and Hastings defeats Cannon. Aces stay in first, Hawks in second and Cannon third 2. Cannon wins their remaining three games against Lake City, Red Wing and Hastings, Red Wing defeats Lake City. Red Wing first and Cannon / Hastings tied for second with the tie breaker being record vs Class B teams. Currently Hastings is 44 with one B game left and Cannon is 25 with three B games left.

The bottom line is, to finish second and get the bye for the section tournament, Hastings must defeat Cannon Falls on July 22, at Cannon Falls. That is now the next big game of the season.

Jake Sandquist has been an integral part of the Hawks offense this season leading the team in batting average and being an anchor behind the plate defensively. Friday’s game against Red Wing was a strange night for Sandquist with him going 0-4 with a walk. Photo by Brian Schommer.