Photo Cutlines
Gavin
Gavin Odman delivers a pitch against the Prescott Pirates during the annual River Rumble Saturday, July 18, at
Veterans Park. Odman started for Hastings, striking out seven without allowing a walk over six innings in the
Hawks’ 12-11 victory. Photo by Brian Schommer.
Cooper
Cooper Pagel is pictured at first base during Hastings’ 13-inning victory over Prescott. Pagel led off the bottom
of the 13th with a double and later scored the winning run on Kane Sheahan’s walk-off single. Photo by Brian
Schommer.


The Hastings Hawks entered the week with an 11-13 record and three home games on the schedule, beginning with a makeup game against the Red Wing Aces on Tuesday, July 14. The Hawks were also scheduled to host the Shoreview Stumpgrinders on Wednesday, but that game was canceled. Hastings returned to Veterans Park Saturday afternoon for the annual River Rumble against the Prescott Pirates as part of Rivertown Days, then closed the weekend Sunday against Classic Cannon Valley League American Division opponent Rochester.
The week began with a promising start against Red Wing, but the Aces scored eight unanswered runs and pulled away for a 9-2 victory. Hastings responded with one of its longest and most dramatic games of the season, defeating Prescott 12-11 in 13 innings, then completed the weekend sweep with an 8-5 win over Rochester.
Hastings and Red Wing were scoreless through the first two innings Tuesday night as Hawks starting pitcher Dennis Reinhart worked around an early walk and kept the Aces off the board. Reinhart retired Red Wing in order in the first inning, then stranded another runner in the second. A walk in the third also went unused as Hastings kept the game scoreless.
The Hawks broke through in the bottom of the third. Dylan Larson started the rally with a single, then Jack Seleski followed with another single that moved Larson to third. Max Kaplan singled to bring Larson home with the first run of the game, and Johnny Teigland doubled to score Seleski for a 2-0 lead. Kaplan moved to third on the double, but Red Wing pitcher Aidan O’Brien escaped without allowing another run.
Red Wing began its comeback in the fourth inning. Reid Hartmann singled, stole second and moved to third on
a groundout. Adam Thygesen followed with a run-scoring single to cut Hastings’ lead to 2-1. The inning ended when the Hawks turned a double play.
Hastings had another chance to add to its lead in the fourth when Taylor Pagel reached on an error, but Red Wing retired the next three batters. Kaplan singled again in the fifth, giving him three hits in his first three trips to the plate, but he was stranded.
The Aces took the lead in the sixth. Dixon Irwin opened the inning with a single and moved to third on Thygesen’s single. Nick Azar brought Irwin home with another single, tying the game at 2-2. Abe Reinitz followed with a single that scored Thygesen and gave Red Wing a 3-2 lead. Reece Cox entered in relief with two outs in the inning and prevented further damage, but the Hawks could not answer in the bottom half. Max Krebs singled before Red Wing turned a double play and retired the side. Red Wing added a run in the seventh. Brodie Gibart walked and moved to third on Hartmann’s single. Irwin
brought Gibart home with a groundout, extending the lead to 4-2. Larson singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning.
Cox retired the Aces in order in the eighth, giving Hastings another opportunity to cut into the lead. Red Wing retired Kaplan, Teigland and Krebs in order to send the game to the ninth with the Hawks still trailing by two. The Aces put the game away with five runs in the top of the ninth and Hastings went quietly in the bottom of the ninth, giving Red Wing the 9-2 victory. The Hawks finished with eight hits, but all eight came from five players. Kaplan led Hastings by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Larson was 2-for-4 with a run, Seleski singled and scored, Teigland drove in a run with the team’s only extra-base hit, and Krebs added a single.
Reinhart took the loss after allowing three earned runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two. Cox allowed six runs, three earned, on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two.
After the Shoreview game was canceled, Hastings returned to Veterans Park Saturday afternoon for the annual River Rumble against Prescott. The game was part of the Rivertown Days celebration, and it turned into a four-hour battle that required 13 innings and featured 23 runs, 40 hits and several major momentum swings. The Hawks appeared ready to take control early, scoring five runs in the first inning. Seleski opened the inning with a walk and Kane Sheahan followed with a single. A wild pitch moved both runners ahead, then another wild pitch allowed Seleski to score the first run.
Johnny Teigland singled home Sheahan for a 2-0 lead, then Nick Brandt doubled to put runners at second and third. Evan Khrin walked to load the bases, and Taylor Pagel reached on an error that allowed Teigland to score. Reinhart followed with a two-run single, bringing Brandt and Khrin home and giving Hastings a 5-0 lead.
The Hawks added another run in the second. Sheahan singled, Kaplan followed with another single and Teigland moved Sheahan to third with a sacrifice fly. Brandt then lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Sheahan for a 6-0 advantage.
Prescott began cutting into the lead with two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth. Hastings answered in
the bottom of the fifth. Brandt walked, and Cooper Pagel entered as a courtesy runner. Pagel stole second, moved to third on a throwing error and scored on Reinhart’s single to make the score 7-3. The Pirates scored twice in the sixth, cutting the lead to 7-5, but Hastings again added an insurance run. Kaplan, Teigland and Brandt opened the bottom of the sixth with three straight singles. Khrin followed with a
sacrifice fly that scored Kaplan, although Teigland was tagged out at second on the play. Prescott erased the 8-5 lead in the seventh. A walk, three singles and a Hastings throwing error helped the Pirates score three runs and tie the game at 8-8.
The Hawks immediately responded with three runs in the bottom half. Taylor Pagel was hit by a pitch, and Gavin Odman entered to run. Ben Teigland followed with a bunt single. A throwing error by the Prescott pitcher moved the runners ahead, then Seleski reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Odman. Sheahan followed with a two-run double, bringing Teigland and Seleski home for an 11-8 lead. Prescott refused to go away. The Pirates scored two runs in the eighth to pull within 11-10, then tied the game in the ninth. Barrett Temmers doubled with two outs, then scored when Brady Block reached on an error in left field. Hastings put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but Prescott turned a double play to send the game into extra innings.
Jack Seleski, who had moved to the mound during the eighth inning, delivered one of the biggest pitching performances of the season. Prescott loaded the bases with no outs in the 11th after two walks and a safe sacrifice bunt. Seleski then struck out three consecutive batters to escape the inning without allowing a run. The Hawks had their own opportunity to win in the 12th. Seleski doubled and Sheahan singled, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Prescott intentionally walked Kaplan to load the bases. A flyout and a force play at
home gave the Pirates two outs, then a strikeout ended the threat. Hastings finally ended the game in the 13th. Cooper Pagel led off with a double, then moved to third on
Reinhart’s single. Prescott intentionally walked Seleski to load the bases with one out and this time, it backfired. Sheahan came through with his fifth hit of the game, a single that scored Pagel and gave the Hawks the 12-11 walk-off victory.
Sheahan finished 5-for-8 with a double, three RBIs and two runs. Reinhart was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and
three walks. Seleski, Kaplan, Johnny Teigland, Brandt and Cooper Pagel each had two hits. Brandt, Seleski and Cooper Pagel joined Sheahan with doubles as Hastings collected 20 hits. Odman started and allowed five runs on 13 hits over six innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out seven.
Zach Simon allowed three runs in one inning before Seleski took over. Seleski earned the win after allowing
three runs, two earned, on only three hits over six innings. He walked four and struck out six. Less than 24 hours after the River Rumble ended, Hastings returned to Veterans Park for a Sunday afternoon game against the Rochester Royals.
Rochester took an early lead when Nick Pearson tripled to begin the game and scored on Sam Graunke’s
single. Hawks starter Kane Sheahan prevented a larger inning by striking out two batters and leaving three
runners on base. Hastings tied the game in the second. Larson walked and moved to second on Khrin’s groundout. A throwing error allowed Larson to reach third, then Taylor Pagel singled him home to make the score 1-1.
The Hawks took control with five runs in the fourth. Johnny Teigland walked and Larson singled, putting runners at the corners. Khrin doubled to score both runners and give Hastings a 3-1 lead. Cooper Pagel followed with a single that scored Khrin. Cory Wolters singled, Seleski was hit by a pitch and Kaplan delivered a two-run single that brought Pagel and Wolters home. The five-run inning gave Hastings a
6-1 advantage. Rochester rallied in the sixth. An error, three singles and a wild pitch helped the Royals score three runs,
cutting the lead to 6-4. Sheahan retired the next two batters to keep Hastings in front. Larson moved from shortstop to the mound in the seventh and retired Rochester in order, striking out two. The Hawks then added two important insurance runs in the bottom half. Teigland walked, Larson singled and
Taylor Pagel walked to load the bases. Gavin Odman and Cooper Pagel each drew a bases-loaded walk,
pushing the lead to 8-4.
 Rochester threatened again in the ninth. Hayden Brown doubled, Graunke singled and Aaron Terpstra added
another single to load the bases with no outs. Larson hit Grady Babcock with a pitch, forcing home a run and cutting the lead to 8-5. Larson retired Drew Block on a fly ball and struck out Harmon Zylstra for the second out. Johnny Teigland
then perfectly executed a pickoff play at first base to end the game and secure the 8-5 Hastings victory. Larson finished 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and three runs. Wolters also had two hits and scored once. Khrin doubled and drove in two runs, while Kaplan and Cooper Pagel each finished with two RBIs. Taylor Pagel and Odman each drove in one.
Sheahan earned the win after allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits over six innings. He walked four and struck out six. Larson earned the save, allowing one run on four hits over three innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out three.
The two weekend victories improved Hastings’ season record to 13-14. The Hawks will begin a three-game road trip to finish the regular season on the road. Wednesday, July 22, at
Owatonna, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Then Hastings will travel to Rochester for a 7:30 p.m. game Friday, July 24, then visit the Elko Express Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m.
As it sits, the Hawks are the fifth seed of the tournament and it will be difficult to see that position change with three games remaining. We’ll have the bracket next week with the playoff schedule and the path the Hawks will take to make it to the state tournament.