Raptors squeeze by Alexandria ... finally

ALEXANDRIA — An amateur baseball game that took 43 days to finish ended with a suicide squeeze bunt by Dimock/Emery’s clean-up hitter.

Phil Johnson laid a bunt down the first base line with the bases loaded to score Jeremy Zens with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning to help the Raptors beat Alexandria 3-2 in a Sunshine League game Thursday night.

“I thought about it and (Dimock/Emery coach) Ron (DeGeest) called it,” Johnson said of his successful squeeze play, which was highly contested by the Alexandria infield following the safe call. “With the force play at home, it was my job to just get it down.”

The extra-inning, walk-off win was not an ordinary victory for the defending Class B state champion Raptors, either.

The game began May 19 in Emery but was suspended after nine innings because of rain. The game resumed with Alexandria as the road team batting in the top of the 10th inning and the score tied at 2.

“I’ve never had this happen before in 20 years,” DeGeest said prior to the game. “I’ve had it happen in a district game where it got suspended and you had to pick it up again later, but never in a regular-season game.”

The Raptors started Thomas Pickett on the mound when the restart began. Pickett had pitched two innings earlier — more than a month ago — in the game. Because he stayed in the lineup and was not removed from the game — per amateur baseball rules — he was allowed to pitch again.

He earned the win after battling out of trouble in the top of the 11th. Alexandria No. 7 hitter Tad DeRouchey grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and one out to end the Angels best extra-inning scoring chance.

Pickett finished with a pair of strikeouts and allowed four hits in three innings Thursday.

Matt Lucky had started the original game and threw the first four innings for Dimock/Emery. Pickett had thrown two innings prior to Thursday and Jason Schmidt also had tossed three innings for the Raptors.

Alexandria had Chris Marek on the mound. He had thrown the final eight innings of the original game after his brother, Cory, left the game with soreness in his throwing arm.

“I started the original game and threw one inning and my shoulder felt horrible,” Cory Marek said during a pre-game discussion between the teams about who was eligible to pitch and where the teams were starting in the batting lineup. “Chris came in and it was his game to win.”

Chris Marek allowed one hit, issued three intentional walks — two to Jason Schmidt — and hit two batters over the final 2 1/3 innings. Chris Marek pitched 10 1/3 innings in the entire game.

“I can’t say I’ve ever played a game like this,” Chris Marek said.

Chris Marek did get out of a mini-jam in the bottom of the 10th inning after issuing Schmidt’s first intentional walk. Johnson, who follows Schmidt in the Raptors’ lineup, grounded out to first with the winning run on second base.

Cory Marek said it rained “basically the whole game” on the day the game began. It started pouring during the ninth inning and the teams had to stop, he added.

“What’s big is the momentum going into the second game,” Cory Marek said of the oddity of playing a game that could end after one at-bat. “It could be one inning and that could really help decide the second game.”

The result of the second game, which began around 8 p.m., was not available when this edition went to press.

Parkston 14, Delmont 13

DELMONT — Brady Nolz hit for the cycle as the Parkston Mudcats held on for a 14-13 win over Delmont in a Sunshine League amateur baseball game Thursday.

Parkston had a 14-4 lead after the top of the seventh inning before Delmont attempted to come back. Parkston improves to 15-3 overall and 9-1 in the Sunshine League, as Delmont fell to 2-9 in the Sunshine League.

Nolz went 4-for-5. His first hit was a three-run home run. In his next at bat, he hit a triple. He followed with a single and completed the cycle with a double in his final at bat.

Matt Malloy allowed a three-run home run for Parkston and Pat Harris, Trevor Freundenthal and Mike Slaba all added two hits.

Trever Arnold pitched six innings for the win.

For Delmont, Nate Herrington took the loss. At the plate, Herrington hit a home run and had a single.

The Parkston Mudcats play at 7 p.m. Sunday in Parkston against the Parkston Rock Bass, and Delmont plays at 7 p.m. Monday in Corsica against Corsica/Stickney.

Corsica/Stickney 8, Mitchell 7

CORSICA — Brad Groeneweg drove in Jesse Johnson with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead Corsica/Stickney past the Mitchell Mad Dogs in a Sunshine League amateur baseball game Thursday night.

The Mad Dogs had led 7-4 entering the ninth inning, but Johnson hit a bases-loaded triple to tie the game before Groeneweg’s game-winner. Groeneweg had three hits, including two triple and Adam Fink hit a solo home run for C/S.

Wade Gall pitched two innings of relief and earned the win for C/S.

Adam Kaus had three hits, including a double, Jay Fischer had three singles and Kyle Larson had two hits for the Mad Dogs. Kaus pitched three innings and took the loss for Mitchell, which is at Emery to face Dimock/Emery on Sunday.

C/S hosts Delmont on Monday in Corsica.

Madison 13, Canova 11

CANOVA — Madison beat Canova 13-11 in an amateur baseball game Thursday night.

Trevor Oswald had two doubles and two singles and Garrett Gassman had four singles for the Gang.

Curt Carlson had a double and two singles and Thomas Gulledge hit a home run for Canova, which fell to 12-4.

Lincoln Gassman took the loss for Canova. He threw six innings and allowed nine runs.

Canova hosts Salem on Sunday.

Tags: mad dogs, sports, updates, dimock, emery, alexandria, canova, corsica, stickney, mitchell