Resorters baseball: Miltona splits pair

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The Miltona Tigers split two league games this past weekend to move to 7-4 in the Resorters West with just two games left to play.

The Tigers bounced back from an 8-4 loss to Urbank on Saturday to take a 5-4 game against Clarissa on Sunday.

Miltona got a strong start from Chris Koep and some timely home runs to finish the weekend on a high note. Koep allowed the four runs on two hits and struck out 13 in a complete-game victory. The Flyers got to him in the eighth when Mike Blom connected for a two-run home run that made it a 5-4 game. Koep regrouped after that, striking out four over the last two frames.

The Tigers took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth. The Flyers tied the game at two apiece in the top of the sixth before Jake Leuschke gave the Tigers the lead with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the frame. Leuschke drove a solo shot over the left field fence.

Tom Steidl added to the lead in the seventh. After a single by Ryan Emter, Steidl drove a two-run home run the opposite way over the right field fence. Blom answered in the next half inning for the Flyers, but it was too little, too late as Koep shut the door in the ninth.

The home run ball may have benefited the Tigers on Sunday, but it handed them a loss on Saturday. Miltona led 4-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth at Urbank. The Bombers added a run to tie the game before Greg Springer hit a two-out grand slam to send his team home walk-off winners.

That put an end to what was a back-and-forth affair throughout the game. The Bombers took a 3-0 lead before Miltona got on the board with a Steidl solo home run. The Tigers added another run in the seventh before taking the lead in the top of the ninth with two runs. It was a lead that would prove to be short lived as Springer put an end to the game in dramatic fashion.

Derick Swenson led the Tiger offense with three hits. Emter and Leuschke each finished with two hits, while Cody Curry, Trey Thompson, Mitch Kluver and Steidl all added one. John Mohror gave them six solid innings on the mound. He allowed three runs, while striking out five.

Miltona will be back at home this weekend. The Tigers welcome Long Prairie to Bernie Steidl Field for a 2 p.m. first pitch.

Tags: alexandria sports, area sports, sports, baseball, miltona, tigers