VFW Green splits four

• Aaron Billberg

Echo Press photo by Eric Morken Alexandria shotstop Aaron Billberg positioned himself to throw to first in the opening game of a doubleheader against Willmar II last Friday night.

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The Alexandria VFW Green baseball team split four games last week against Willmar II and Ortonville.

The Green rebounded nicely after getting shut out and collecting just one hit in the opener against Willmar last Friday. They lost that game 10-0 but bounced back with an 11-3 win in game two.

That came three days after Alexandria fell 4-3 in the nightcap against Ortonville after winning 7-2 in the opening game.

Alexandria 11, Willmar 3

Eric Nelson gave the Green three solid innings on the mound to pick up the win. Nelson did not allow a hit, while striking out three and walking four.

He got a lot of offense to work with in the second inning. Alexandria sent 10 to the plate in the inning on its way to scoring six runs. Gideon Burnham delivered the big blow with a two-RBI triple before Erich Murphy added an RBI-double in the very next at-bat. Murphy ended the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored.

Tanner Ramsdell also had a big game with two hits, two RBIs and a run scored.

Willmar 10, Alexandria 0

The offensive output in game two was much needed after the Green were held to just one hit in the opener.

Dan Anderson broke up a no-hitter by Alex Grove in the seventh inning with a two-out single. Alexandria’s biggest threat came in the fourth when the Green bunched together two straight walks. Grove got the next batter to strike out swinging to end the threat.

Willmar scored in the first three innings to make sure the strong performance by their pitcher was not wasted. They jumped out 1-0 in the first before adding two in the second and three in the third.

Ortonville 4, Alexandria 3

A four-run fourth inning by Ortonville was just enough to hold off Alexandria in the nightcap last Tuesday.

Alexandria had led 1-0 going into the fourth before Ortonville sent nine guys to the plate in scoring their four runs. The Green answered back with two in the fifth when Zach Carlson and Andy Werk scored. It was not quite enough, though, as Ortonville held on for the win.

Alexandria 7, Ortonville 2

The opener was highlighted by a strong day on the mound and at the plate by Aaron Billberg. Billberg went a complete-game seven innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out six in the game.

He also helped himself out on offense with a 2-for-4 game at the plate with a run scored and three RBIs. He helped break the game open in the fifth with a two-RBI single. That was a part of a five-run inning for Alexandria. Carlson added two hits and an RBI for the Alexandria offense.

The Green looked to gain some momentum last night, Tuesday, before heading into the Alexandria VFW Tournament this weekend.

GAME STATISTICS

WILLMAR II 000 12 – 3

ALEXANDRIA 261 2X – 11

ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Eric Nelson – (W) 3IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 4BB, 3SO; Darian Bowman – 2IP, 2H, 3R, 1ER, 1BB, 1SO

ALEXANDRIA HITTING – Erich Murphy – 3-3, 2 runs, RBI; Paxton Aschmon – 1-4, 1 run, RBI; Aaron Billberg – 1-2, 1 run; Nick Meehan – BB; Eric Nelson – 1-2; Andy Werk – 1 run, SB; Tanner Ramsdell – 2-2, 2 RBI, 1 run; Nick Hammje – 1-3, 2 runs, RBI; Dan Anderson – 2-3, 1 run; Gideon Burnham – 1-1, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Darian Bowman – BB

WILLMAR 123 011 2 – 10

ALEXANDRIA 000 000 0 – 0

ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Anderson – (L) 2 1/3IP, 8H, 5R, 5ER, 1BB, 1SO; Tanner Ramsdell – 4 2/3IP, 8H, 5R, 3ER, 2BB, 5SO

ALEXANDRIA HITTING – Werk – BB, SB; Murphy – BB, SB; Anderson – 1-2, BB

ORTONVILLE 000 40 – 4

ALEXANDRIA 001 02 – 3

ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Brock Wood – (L) 3 2/3IP, 2H, 4R, 2ER, 4BB, 2SO; Ramsdell – 1 1/3IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3SO

ALEXANDRIA HITTING – Murphy – 1-1, 1 run; Carlson – 1-1, 1 run; Werk – 1-2, 1 run, SB, RBI

ORTONVILLE 000 110 – 2

ALEXANDRIA 010 051 – 7

ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Aaron Billberg – (W) 7IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 4BB, 6SO

ALEXANDRIA HITTING – Billberg – 2-4, 1 run, 3 RBI; Burnham – 1-3, 1 run, 2 RBI; Werk – 1-2, 1 run, SB; Murphy – 1-3, RBI; Anderson – 1-1; Ramsdell – 1 run; Carlson – 2-3, RBI; Nicholas Meehan – 1 run; Nelson – 1 run; Bowman – 1 run

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