Hayfield runs winning streak to five
Hayfield baseball team had a tough game against Waterville-Elysian- Morristown. The Vikings would fall in that game by a score of 13-1and it was the equivalent of a horse stumbling out of the gate.
However, the baseball season is a marathon and one bad game can only dictate a season if a team lets it.
The Vikings have put that opening loss in the rear view mirror and since then, they’ve played tremendous baseball, running their winning streak to five games thanks to a trio of victories last week to run their overall record to 5-1 and their Gopher Conference record to 4-1.
Hayfield’s week began with a trip to Maple River on Apr. 15 and established a strong week of starting pitching on the mound thanks to Luke Dudchya. The junior was terrific on the mound limiting the Eagles to two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out three in a complete game effort.
With the Eagles bats being silenced, the Vikings went to work at the plate with Easton Fritcher doing a good chunk of damage at the bottom of the lineup, going 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. Kolby Tapp would drive in two runs while Carter Kyllo, Brady Nelson, Mason Tapp also drove in runs as part of an 8-2 victory.
The good vibes would continue as the Vikings traveled up to former conference foe Triton on Apr. 16. Once again, a strong pitching effort by Nelson (6 IP, ER, 6 H, BB, 9 K) would set the table for the Vikings offense to take charge.
Although there would be just four hits in the game, Joey Tempel would have a big one as his two-RBI single led the way while Mason Tapp added an RBI double. With Hayfield drawing seven walks, they created threats all afternoon and walked away with an 8-1 victory.
Hayfield’s week would conclude with a trip to Bethlehem Academy and another Viking victory. This game would belong to Fritcher, who would get it done on the mound with five shutout innings with two hits, four walks and 10 strikeouts and at the plate going 2-for-3 with twowith two triples and four RBI. Tempel would drive in another pair of runs with a RBI single and Nelson, Mason Trapp, Towey and Kolby Trapp would each drive in one as the Vikings would skunk the Cardinals 10-0 in five innings.
The Vikings will continue to remain on the road next week as they went to NRHEG on Tuesday and will travel to Blooming Prairie on Thursday. A matchup with J-W-P will happen on Friday before a rematch with W-E-M on Apr. 29 and United South Central on April 30.
*/
*/