Mitchell splits first two games at Gopher Classic in Twin Cities
Jul. 8—ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Mitchell Post 18 Legion baseball team's run games over the weekend in the Twin Cities got underway Friday morning with a split at the Gopher Classic.
It included an 11-2, five-inning win over Coon Rapids (Minn.), which was capped by a walk-off home run by Jonah Schmidt, and in the second game of the day, Mitchell fell 4-1 to Creighton Prep (Neb.) in games at Reynolds Field on the campus of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul.
Schmidt finished the game 3-for-3 with six RBIs, including a triple and three runs scored. Jake Helleloid and Hudson Haley each drove in a pair of runs, with Helleloid adding two hits and a triple. Lukas Bennett had a double and two runs scored in the game, and Dylan Soulek scored three times. With Seth Muth scoring twice, Bennett, Muth, Soulek and Schmidt — 9-1-2-3 in Mitchell's order — accounted for 10 of the team's 11 runs in the game.
Jace Larson did his part on the mound for Mitchell, throwing all five innings and allowing four hits, two runs and four walks, while striking out two on 86 pitches.
Schmidt's blast ended a nearly month-long span without a home run for Mitchell, which has now hit six as a team this season.
In the loss to Creighton Prep, Mitchell outhit their Nebraska foes 7-5 but committed three errors kept them from climbing out of a 2-0 hole. Mitchell struck out nine times in the game.
Muth and Soulek each had two hits for Mitchell, with Landon Waddell knocking in the lone Mitchell run of the game in the fourth inning on a groundout, scoring Helleloid. Joe Van Overschelde made his return to the lineup after missing the first 29 games recovering from a knee injury and earned a base hit.
Helleloid was strong on the mound for Post 18, throwing 5 2/3 innings with five hits and four runs (one earned) allowed and striking out five. Mason Geraets earned the final out of the day on the mound after Helleloid hit the pitch count limit.
Mitchell (21-10) is back in action on Saturday to face Ashland (Neb.) at 2 p.m. and Mound Westonka (Minn.) at 4:30 p.m. The pool play finale for Mitchell is at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday when Post 18 takes on West Fargo (N.D.). If Mitchell wins its pool, they would play at 11:30 a.m. on Monday in Bloomington, Minn. in the Gopher Classic Round of 16.
