The Hutchinson Tigers used a 17-hit attack and the right arm of Jeremiah Van De Steeg to defeat the visiting Mound-Westonka White Hawks, 12-3, Tuesday in the opening round of the Section 6AAA tournament.
The fourth seeded Tigers had to battle back against the fifth seeded White Hawks after they fell behind early, but a couple of five-run rallies in the third and fifth innings helped Hutch take control and win the game.
“We got punched first today,” Hutch slugger Tyler Schiller said. “We didn’t usually punch right back this season, but today we came back and put up a crooked inning.”
The White Hawks roughed up Van De Steeg with five hits in the first two innings for a 3-0 lead, but he settled down after that and only allowed two more hits while pitching a complete game. The defense helped him out, too, by turning four double plays.
“He got the ball up in the strike zone,” Hutchinson manager Scott Renning said. “I thought the second inning was a huge key. He stayed down and was able to get a ground ball for a double play.”
The Tigers looked ready to break the game open in the bottom of the second when they loaded the bases with no outs, but they only plated one run as a check swing and double play thwarted Hutch’s threat.
In the next inning, however, Hutchinson struck big with three hits, two walks and a couple of errors to take a 6-3 lead. Schiller’s RBI double got things rolling, followed by an RBI single from Dan Lyons and a two-run triple from Mitchell Reiner. Reiner finished the game 4-for-4 to help lead the Tigers.
Hutch scored big again in the fifth inning as it strung together four more hits and two more walks to take an 11-3 lead. Schiller had another big hit when he tripled to drive in three more runs after a 10-pitch at-bat.
“I got down in the count,” Schiller said. “At that point, I was ready to battle and keep grinding. I saw my pitch, a fastball, and I took advantage of it.”
He finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored to also lead the Tigers’ offense.
The Tigers added a final run in the sixth inning on a pinch-hit single by John Schlueter to drive in Reiner.
After this win, Hutchinson was scheduled to face the undefeated Waconia Wildcats in the next round of playoffs at 5 p.m. Thursday, in Waconia. The Tigers lost to the Wildcats twice during the regular season.
The winner of that game plays again at 7 p.m. Saturday, in Hutchinson, against the winner between Delano and Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The loser is not finished, but must come back from the loser’s bracket and play at 5 p.m. Friday against the winner between Orono and Jordan.
Whether the Tigers are still playing or not, Hutchinson’s Veterans Memorial Field is the final site for the section tournament.
Hutch will host the winner’s bracket game Saturday between the section’s two unbeaten teams, as well as loser’s bracket games at 5 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Monday.
The championship is scheduled for Tuesday in Hutchinson, and the time is yet to be determined.
Hutchinson 12, Mound-Westonka 3
Mound-W …. 120 000 0 – 3 7 2
Hutchinson … 015 051 x – 12 17 2
Hutch stats
Hitting — Cody Arlt 1-2, 1R, 1RBI; Patrick Kuseske 0-1; Jeremiah Van De Steeg 1-3, 1R, 1RBI; Tyler Lenz 0-0; Travis Trettin 0-3, 2R; John Schlueter 1-1, 1RBI; Tyler Schiller 3-4, 2R, 4RBI; Andrew Rannow 1-1; Brady Zackrison 1-3, 1R; Brooks Telecky 0-1; Russell Corrigan 2-3, 1RBI; Dan Lyons 2-4, 2R, 1RBI; Caleb Marquardt 1-3, 2R; Mitchell Reiner 4-4, 1R, 2RBI; Totals 17-33, 12R, 11RBI, 5BB, 2SB
2B: Zackrison, Corrigan, Schiller; 3B: Reiner, Schiller
Pitching — Van De Steeg (W) 7IP-7H-3R-3ER-1BB-1K
Mound-Westonka stats
Hitting — Totals 7-26, 3R, 3RBI, 1BB
Pitching — Totals 7IP-17H-12R-8ER-5BB-4K
