Baseball: Hanson pitches Warriors to Game One victory over Willmar

BRAINERD — Isaac Hanson pitched a gem.

The Brainerd junior pitched Game One for the Brainerd Warriors and tossed a one-hit shutout in a 6-0 win over the Willmar Cardinals Tuesday, April 26, at Adamson Field.

Hanson struck out 14 and walked two.

After a two-out single in the top of the first, Hanson sent down the next 17 Cardinal batters before back-to-back walks in the seventh.

He fanned the last two batters to complete the shutout. He recorded a strikeout in every inning, including two in every inning but the first. He struck out the side in the sixth.

The Warriors got on the board in the bottom of first when Riley DeRosier ripped a single which scored Hanson.

Brainerd added its second run in the bottom of second on a wild pitch that scored Carter Springer.

In both the first and second innings, the Warriors left the bases loaded. They finished the game leaving 11 runners on base.

Sam Etterman started for the Cardinals and pitched four innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He walked three and hit a batter.

The Warriors broke it open in the fifth when they sent 10 batters to the plate. Cayden Kleffman led off the inning with a double. Jonathan Benson then worked a walk.

A groundout moved runners to second and third before a passed ball scored Kleffman to make it 3-0. Riley DeRosier then lofted a single to right to score Benson.

After an Adam Jensen fly out, Springer and Alex Helmin worked back-to-back walks to load the bases and turn the lineup over to the top of the order for Mitchell Brau.

Brau ripped a two-run single to center to make it 6-0.

Kleffman tallied two hits, including the only extra-base hit of Game One.

Hanson reached base three times with a single and two walks.

Willmar was ahead 8-1 over the Warriors in the top of the fourth of Game Two at the time of print.

CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.