By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
You can say this about the young, senior-less NRHEG High School baseball team: it's definitely improving.
The Panthers trekked to Dodge Center to face Triton Monday, and it took two extra innings for the Cobras to emerge for an 8-7 triumph.
It was a vast improvement from last week, when the Panthers were outscored 26-1 in two games to open the season 0-2.
Seth Staloch, Jordan Brouwers and Jared Lee had multi-hit games at Triton, with Staloch going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Brouwers 2-for-3 with three runs scored, Lee 3-for-5 with one RBI. Adding one hit apiece were A.Dean, Devon Parpart, Ryan Schlaak and Wyatt Larson.
Larson took the pitching loss in three innings of relief of starter Aeden Schlaak. Carter Martens also pitched. They combined to strike out six and walk eight.
"It is unfortunate to lose in a game like this," said coach Shawn Larson. "We played so much better than we have been playing lately. It was fun for us to be mixed up in a game where it was back and forth and exciting. We were more aggressive at the plate today than we have been, and we played cleaner in the defense. Triton just did what they needed to do."
Triton's starting pitcher went all nine innings, fanning nine and walking three.
The Panthers opened the season last Thursday at Jeff and Carol Reese Field, where they fell 16-1 in five innings to a strong Randolph crew.
The Panthers totaled two hits, one apiece by Lee and Parpart. Lee drove in the lone NRHEG run.
Alden Dobberstein started and took the pitching loss, with Parpart going 2 1/3 innings in relief. They combined for seven strikeouts and 10 walks. Two Randolph pitchers teamed for 11 strikeouts and two walks.
"It is expected that at the beginning of the season that the team will make mistakes," said Coach Larson. "We made several mistakes that we will be working on. The only thing we can do is work at getting better at ball for the time being. The best part of baseball is that tomorrow is a new day and we will have a chance in that one. Randolph was very good tonight at capitalizing on errors. Besides that, they were tough at the plate all the way through their lineup, and found several hits to complement the unearned runs they scored. They are a good team."
The Panthers fell 10-0 in five innings at LeSueur-Henderson last Friday.
NRHEG was held hitless while striking out 12 times and walking once against two LSH pitchers. Lee started and absorbed the loss for the Panthers.
"After two days in a row of the same thing, it is hard to say we are making improvements," said Coach Larson. "We need work on almost every aspect of baseball right now. I will say that being more aggressive at the plate, and more disciplined on defense are the two areas that will help us the most to improve. We were no-hit in this game, partly because we were tentative, but mainly because Gupton and Tellijohn pitched very well."
The Panthers host United South Central Thursday, April 11 at 4:30. They play Friday at Granada-Huntley/EC/ML at 5 p.m. and are at Waseca April 18 for a 5 p.m. game.