PAYNESVILLE — Like many of his veteran teammates on the New London-Spicer Twins, Mike Danielson had little idea about what to expect in Sunday’s County Line League opener.
The Twins were just hoping there would be nine guys.
There were. Danielson cracked a couple of hard-hit doubles, then finished up on the mound with 2-1/3 innings of relief in New London-Spicer’s 12-6 win over the Paynesville Pirates.
“That was a lot of fun,” Danielson said. “It seemed like a little bit of a roll of the dice as the ninth guy.“I definitely did not expect to pitch today.”
Danielson, 35, was one of the veterans who mixed in with some high-school guys to help the Twins open the season. Paynesville was in the same boat. Both teams have a bunch of players concluding their college seasons.
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
New London-Spicer had 13 hits and got to the Pirates’ pitching early, building a 9-0 lead through five innings.
“It usually takes a couple of games to find the rhythm,” Danielson said. “Today was a pleasant surprise.”
Scott Rambow, Josh Soine and Carson McCain all had at least two hits for the Twins. McCain’s one of the high-school guys playing Sunday. For New London-Spicer, that included Dylan Staska, Brayden Skindelien and Gavin Radabaugh.
The Twins are anticipating the return of Hunter Magnuson and Jett Salonek of Valley City State and Cayden Hansen from St. Cloud Technical and Community College, as well as Derek Doelzal from Bemidji State. Magnuson became New London-Spicer’s ace last summer and has thrown 70 innings this spring for Valley City State, posting a 4-4 record and 3.86 earned-run average with 74 strikeouts and 34 walks
All those guys should be back soon, depending how their schools’ post-season goes. In the meantime, the older guys in Twins uniforms did the job.
“I was hoping we’d have nine guys,” said Scott Rambow, who was 3-for-7 with three RBIs.
“I’m excited for the year,” said Jake Rambow, New London-Spicer’s second baseman and field manager who went 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a hit-by-pitch. “When everybody’s here, we should have some good pitching.”
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
The Pirates are feeling the same way. Field manager Ron Fuchs was pleased with Paynesville’s comeback. It scored six runs in the final four innings after veteran right-hander Ben Kulset shut the Pirates down for five innings.
Grant Fuchs, the former St. John’s University Johnnie, went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. His younger brother, shortstop Grayson Fuchs was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. A 2023 Paynesville graduate, he’s headed to St. Cloud State. Drew Tangen contributed two hits and an RBI.
“It was what I like to see,” Ron Fuchs said of the comeback. “We were down 9-0 and could’ve hung it up. Instead, it was, ‘Let’s go.’”
Grayson Fuchs, Spencer Eisenbraun, Emerson Stein and Peyton Hemmesch are all current high-school guys for Paynesville. The Pirates await the return of Grady Fuchs from St. Cloud State, Luke Johnson from Gustavus Adolphus, Blake Vagle from Concordia-Moorhead and Abe Bullard from Whittier College in California.
Ron Fuchs wasn’t surprised by the strong games of New London-Spicer’s veterans.
“They can play,” he said. “They’ve been around a long time. They know how to play, that’s for sure.”
Like the Twins, the Pirates are looking forward to the season. They play at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Regal. New London-Spicer plays the Atwater Chuckers at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Green Lake Diamonds in Spicer.
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
NLS 004 230 003-12 13 1
Paynesville 000 001 401-7 11 3
Hitting – NLS: Ben Kulset 0-5 r bb, Jake Rambow 2-4 r rbi hbp sf, Adam Schraeder 1-3 r 2b bb-3, Scott Rambow 2-6 r rbi, Josh Soine 2-3 r-2 rbi hbp bb-2, Mike Danielson 2-5 r rbi-3 2b-2 bb, Dylan Staska 0-5 r sb, Brayden Skindelien 1-3 r bb, Carson McCain 2-3 r-2 rbi 2b, Gavin Radahaugen 1-2 r … Paynesville: Grayson Fuchs 2-4 r-3 hbp, Drew Tangen 2-5 r rbi, Rick Hendrickson 1-4 rbi sf, Grant Fuchs 3-4 r rbi 2b bb, Griffin Bjerke 1-4 rbi-2, Tanner Stanley 0-4 rbi, Peyton Hmmesch 1-2 r, Sam Oehrlein 1-3 r bb
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – NLS: Kulset (W) 6-6-1-1-0-4, Evan Haugen 0.2-3-5-5-2-0, Danielson 2.1-2-1-1-0-2 … Paynesville: Bennett Evans (L) 4-10-8-7-3-1, Grant Fuchs 1-0-1-0-1-0, Bjerke 4-3-3-0-4-3
Four Regal pitchers combined to toss a six-hit shutout as the Eagles beat the Starbuck Stars at Marthaler Field in Glenwood.
Jordan Wosmek went the first five innings and got the victory, striking out five, walking one and allowing four hits.
Bennett Schultz, Josh Beier, Nathan Meyer and Blake Karsch all had two hits for the Eagles.
For Starbuck, Austin Ver Steeg went 2-for-4.
Regal 010 010 123-8 12 1
Starbuck 000 000 000-0 6 2
Hitting – Regal: Luke Knudsen 1-5 r rbi bb, Bennett Schultz 2-4 r bb, Josh Beier 2-6 r-2 rbi, Nathan Meyer 2-3 rbi bb-2, Blake Karsch 2-5 r, Derek Dengerud 1-2 r rbi-2 bb-2, Grant Paffrath 1-3 r, Chi Schneider 1-3 r rbi-2 … Starbuck: Torii Johnson 1-4, Jackson Hendrickson 1-4, Austin Ver Steeg 2-4, A. Friese 1-3, M. Gruber 1-3
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Regal: Jordan Wosmek (W) 5-4-0-0-1-5, Schneider 1.2-0-0-0-0-1, Meyer 1.1-1-0-0-0-1, Adrian Belden 1-1-0-0-0-1 … Starbuck: Ver Steeg (L) 3-2-1-1-2-2, Drew Olsonaski 3.2-4-2-1-5-6, Johnson 2-2-2-2-0-1, Andrew Toop 0.1-4-3-3-1-0
Atwater 7, Norway Lake-Sunburg 2
Josh Kingery went 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBIs and a double to help lead the Atwater Chuckers past the Norway Lake-Sunburg Lakers at Kingery Field in Atwater.
Kingery started on the mound and threw five hitless innings, striking out eight and walking two.
David Kingery went the final three innings to get the save. He, Jordan Olson and Eli Albrecht all had two hits for the Chuckers.
Weston Gjerde, Jaiden Henjum and Luke Ruter had hits for Norway Lake-Sunburg.
Norway Lake-Sunburg 000 001 001-2 3 1
Atwater 132 001 00x-7 11 1
Hitting – Norway Lake-Sunburg: Weston Gjerde 1-5 r, Jaiden Henjum 1-4 r bb, Jared Cortez 0-5 rbi, Luke Ruter 1-4 bb, Justin Johnson 0-1 bb-3, Regan Carlson 0-1 rbi bb hbp, Brody Lien 0-0 hbp … Atwater: Josh Kingery 4-4 r-3 rbi-3 bb 2b sb-2, David Kingery 2-5 rbi sb, Jordan Olson 2-5 sb, Kobe Holtz 1-5 rbi-3, Jeff Peterson 0-3 hbp sb, Connor Barker 0-3 r hbp, Eli Albrecht 2-4 r, Tucker Johnson 0-3 r, Jaxon Drange-Leyendecker 0-2 r hbp
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Norway Lake-Sunburg: Gjerde (L) 3-6-6-4-1-1, J. Johnson 4-4-1-1-0-2, Ruter 1-1-0-0-0-0 … Atwater: J. Kingery (W) 5-0-0-0-2-8, Holtz 1-0-0-1-1-4-1, D. Kingery (Sv) 3-3-1-0-1-2
St. Martin scored nine times in the top of the 10th inning to beat the Rangers at Roscoe.
Russell Leyendecker went nine innings for Roscoe, allowing six hits and one earned run. He struck out eight and walked four.
Brandon Schleper was 1-for-4 with an RBI for the Rangers, who tied it up in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Nolan Rueter went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple, a run, three RBIs, a hit-by-pitch, a sacrifice and a stolen base for the Martins.
St. Martin 000 010 000 9-10 14 3
Roscoe 000 000 010 0-1 1 2
Hitting – St. Martin: Nolan Rueter 4-4 2b 3b r rbi-3 hbp sac, sb, Kyle Lieser 1-5 r 2b, Tanner Arceneau 1-6 r-2 rbi 2b, Ryan Morse 4-5 r, Jake Lauer 1-3, Ben Schroeder 2-3 r rbi-2,Avery Schmitz 1-5 r-2 rbi, Jayden Schaefer 0-1 r, Jaylyn Arceneau 0-0 r rbi … Roscoe: Brandon Schleper 1-4 rbi, Josh Utsch 0-3 r
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – St. Martin: Morse 4-0-0-0-0-4, T. Arceneau (W) 5-1-1-0-1-1, J. Arceneau 1-0-0-0-0-1 … Roscoe: Russell Leyendecker 9-6-1-1-4-8, Dawson Hemmesch (L) 0-3-6-5-2-0, Parker Brezinka 1-5-3-3-0-2
Kevin Kuefler, Gavin Kampsen and Ethan Vogt had Elrosa’s three hits in the victory at Richmond.
Vogt started and went the first five innings. Wyatt Steffensen picked up the win in relief and Vogt finished off the game with the final two outs to get the save.
Elrosa plays at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Meire Grove.
Benson pitchers Sam Lenarz and Isaac Minchow combined to strike out 12 Hancock Orphans as the Plowboys got the Land O’ Ducks League win at Hancock.
Lenarz got the win after striking out eight with four hits and two walks allowed over six innings. Minchow threw three scoreless innings in relief to get the win, striking out four.
Benson 000 000 422-8 8 1
Hancock 001 000 000-1 6 0
Hitting – Benson: Patrick Minchow 1-5 rbi-2 bb sb, Sam Lenarz 1-4 hbp, Jaxon Nickels 1-2 rbi bb sf, Hunter Gonnerman 0-1 r, Daniel Lenarz 0-4 r bb, Matthew Goossen 2-4 r-2 bb, William Enderson 1-4 r-2 bb, Devon Swanson 0-1 r bb hbp, Aaron Zosel 1-1 r rbi-2 bb, Sam Grussing 1-4 rbi sb … Hancock: N/A
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Benson: S. Lenarz (W) 6-4-1-0-2-8, Isaac Minchow (Sv) 3-2-0-0-0-4 … Hancock: N/A
The Litchfield Blues opened the North Star League season with a seven-inning win over the Orphans at Waverly.
Litchfield is host to the Watertown Red Devils at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Optimist Park.
