Game One
Mount Marty Explodes for 17 Runs in High-Scoring Win Over Waldorf
March 21, 2025 – Yankton, SD
The Mount Marty Lancers put on an offensive showcase in a thrilling 17-11 victory over Waldorf on Friday, racking up 21 hits, including six home runs, to power past the Warriors. The win improves Mount Marty to 13-8 (1-3 GPAC) on the season.
Offensive Fireworks from the Start
The Lancers wasted no time getting on the board. In the top of the first, Will Gardner launched a massive grand slam over the left-field fence, driving in Ryan Bachman, Joe Gokie, and Daniel Vonnegut to put Mount Marty up 4-0 early.
Waldorf battled back, cutting the lead to 4-3 by the third inning, but Mount Marty's bats stayed hot. In the fourth, Bachman crushed his first of two home runs, a two-run shot that brought in Jalen Owens. Gardner kept things rolling with an RBI single, and Lucas Kampshoff added a sacrifice fly, extending the Lancers' lead to 8-3.
Trading Blows in the Middle Innings
Waldorf answered with a big fourth inning of their own, scoring four runs, including a three-run homer by Rylee Rauch, to make it an 8-7 game. After Mount Marty added two more runs on a two-run blast from Owens in the fifth, Waldorf responded again, plating four runs to take their first lead of the game at 11-10.
Lancers Take Over Late
With momentum shifting, Mount Marty's offense delivered in a big way in the sixth inning. Shugo Kondo smashed a two-run homer, bringing in William Rauch to reclaim the lead at 12-11. Moments later, Jackson Noem and Bachman went back-to-back, adding three more runs and putting the Lancers ahead 15-11.
Mount Marty continued to pile it on in the seventh. Gokie scored on a wild sequence, and Gardner added another RBI on a sac fly, securing the final 17-11 margin.
Pitching Steps Up Late
While Waldorf kept pace early, reliever Zach Hegge shut things down in dominant fashion. After Aspen Dahl (4.0 IP, 7 ER, 4 K) and Garrett Siemsen (0.1 IP, 4 ER, 1 K) allowed some damage, Hegge (2.2 IP, 3 K, 0 R) slammed the door on the Warriors' offense, earning his first win of the season.
Key Performances
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Ryan Bachman:Â 3-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI
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Will Gardner:Â 4-for-5, Grand Slam, 5 RBI, 2B, SB
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Jalen Owens:Â 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2B
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Shugo Kondo:Â 1-for-1, HR, 2 RBI
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Jackson Noem:Â 3-for-5, HR, RBI
The Lancers showcased their offensive depth, with seven different players driving in runs and six different players going deep.
Game Two
March 21, 2025 – Yankton, SD
The Mount Marty Lancers struggled to contain Waldorf's explosive offense, falling 18-6 on Friday. Despite a solid effort at the plate, the Lancers were unable to keep pace as Waldorf erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
Early Back-and-Forth Action
Mount Marty struck first in the second inning when Ryan Bachman drove a two-run single to left, scoring Cooper Mlnarik and Lucas Kampshoff to give the Lancers a 2-0 lead. However, Waldorf quickly responded, plating a run in the bottom of the frame and tying the game in the third.
After Waldorf took a 4-2 lead in the fourth, Shugo Kondo provided a spark for the Lancers in the fifth, blasting a two-run home run, his first of the season, to even the score at 4-4.
Waldorf Breaks It Open
The game unraveled in the bottom of the fifth as Waldorf strung together a big inning. The Warriors pushed across six runs on five hits, taking advantage of timely singles and aggressive baserunning to take a commanding 10-4 lead.
The sixth inning saw even more damage, with Waldorf adding eight more runs, capitalizing on a wild pitch, an RBI triple from Dylan Battye, and a two-run single by Drake Fetters to extend their lead to 18-4.
Late Lancer Rally Comes Up Short
Mount Marty showed some fight in the seventh, as Cooper Mlnarik lined a two-run single to bring home Joe Gokie and Daniel Vonnegut, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit as the game ended with an 18-6 final.
Key Performers for Mount Marty