BRAINERD — It was the tail of two games in the Brainerd-Willmar Central Lakes Conference doubleheader Tuesday, April 26.
The Warriors won Game One 6-0 and the Cardinals responded with a 10-1 win in Game Two in the sub-40 temperatures at Adamson Field.
Isaac Hanson pitched a gem in Game One.
After a two-out single in the top of the first, the Brainerd junior retired 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.
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“Isaac Hanson pitched very well,” Warriors head coach Trent Grams said. “He was clean. He threw strikes. He was ahead of every hitter. We backed him up with six runs, too.”
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.
“We feel like we can score first with Hanson on the mound,” Grams said. “Then he gains confidence too and takes over from there.”
Game Two
Jack Schafer started Game Two for the Warriors and only lasted 1.2 innings.
Brandt Sunder, who hit No. 9 for Willmar, went 3-3 with two runs scored. He led off the second inning with a double and came around to score on a Sam Etterman sacrifice fly.
Ian Koosman, who got Willmar’s only hit in Game One, went 1-2 with a walk and pitched six innings to shut down the Warriors lineup.
Brainerd’s lone run in Game Two came off a three-base error by the Cardinals’ third baseman in the fourth inning. Benson led the inning off with a double and it was Brody Lund who reached on the three-base error.
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Springer relieved Schafer in the second inning. He pitched 2.1 innings and gave up three runs, one earned, in the third inning which made it 8-0.
The Cardinals added two more in the bottom of sixth. Matthew Karlson came on in relief and pitched a scoreless fifth, but left the game with an injury in the sixth.
“Second game of a doubleheader is something like that,” Grams said. “The weather is not a factor because both teams have to play in it. They put the ball in play more than we did. We didn’t control the strike zone on the mound, but a split against these guys isn’t too bad.”
The loss was the Warriors first of the season. They resume their season Thursday against St. Cloud and then travel to Fergus Falls Friday.
“We need to stay healthy, stay warm and get back out here and win the week,” Grams said.
