Legion baseball: Alexandria's win streak now at six
Post 87 defeated Perham in nine innings.By: Eric Morken, Alexandria Echo Press
The Fat Daddy’s Alexandria American Legion Post 87 baseball team ran its winning streak to six games on Tuesday night with a nine-inning win in Perham.
Post 87 got out to a 6-0 lead after half an inning and held on late for an 11-9 win. Perham battled back to within one run after the seventh but two scoreless innings from Logan Serum closed out the win for Alexandria.
Zach Peterson, AJ Anderson, Erich Murphy and Jeff Swedberg all had doubles in the six-run first inning. Anderson finished 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Swedberg added a triple to his line and finished with four RBIs.
Post 87 used 13 hits and a lot of activity on the bases to secure the win. Alexandria had nine steals, including three by Christian Anderson and two by AJ Anderson.
Alexandria never trailed in the game despite Perham’s best efforts at a comeback. They scored eight runs off Post 87 starting pitcher Kris Setterstrom. Just three of those were earned though as Alexandria overcame five errors to pick up the win.
Setterstrom gave his team 6 1/3 innings on the mound. He scattered nine hits and four walks, while striking out three. Erich Murphy gave up an unearned run and struck out two in two-thirds of an inning before Serum threw two scoreless innings to close things out. He allowed just two hits and struck out one.
“Kris did a very nice job in his first appearance on the mound as a Legion player,” head coach Kevin Engebretson said. “He was able to go deep into the game for us, which was great after a weekend that was taxing on our pitching staff. He will get some more chances up there, so it was good to see him compete and let the defense work.”
The Post 87 pitching staff will be without one of its top pitchers in Nick Knoblach for a little while. Knoblach was originally thought to be out the rest of the summer with a sports hernia that would require surgery. On Thursday, he told Engebretson that doctors have downgraded the injury to a muscle strain that should heal with some rest. Knoblach is 2-0 with a 2.28 ERA through 15 1/3 innings this summer. He is also hitting .400 in 35 at-bats.
Alexandria’s arms will be tested this weekend against another strong field of competition at the Fargo-Moorhead Invitational. Post 87 will see teams from Millard, Nebraska, Mandan, North Dakota, Mitchell, South Dakota, Moorhead and Winnipeg in its pool. The winner of the pool will have a chance to play in the championship game on Sunday.
Alexandria will return home to host its annual Fourth of July tournament on July 6-8. Teams from Edina, Fergus Falls, Hastings, Mankato, North St. Paul, West Fargo and Worthington will make up the field.
GAME STATISTICS
ALEXANDRIA 602 110 010 – 11 13 5
PERHAM 022 100 400 – 9 11 4
ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Setterstrom – W, 6 1/3IP, 9H, 8R, 3ER, 4BB, 3SO; Murphy – 2/3IP, 0H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 2SO; Serum – S, 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1SO
ALEXANDRIA OFFENSE – AJ Anderson – 3-5, 2B, 2 SB, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Serum – 2 runs, SB, RBI; Murphy – 1-4, 2B, 1 run, RBI; Beau Backhaus – 1-5, 1 run; Pat Leary – 2-2; Grant Becker – 1-5, SB, 1 run; Swedberg – 2-3, 2B, 3B, SB, 4 RBI; C. Anderson – 2 runs, 3 SB; Blake Stockert – 1-4, BB, 2B, 1 run; Peterson – 2-4, 2B, 1 run, RBI
Eric Morken
Eric Morken started as a sports reporter for the Echo Press on July 9, 2007. He is a graduate of Augustana College in Sioux Falls where he majored in journalism and minored in history and communications. In his spare time, Morken enjoys hunting and fishing or just being in the outdoors. He is also an avid Minnesota sports fan. Follow Sports Reporter Eric Morken on Twitter at @echo_sports. Read Eric's sports blog, More with Morken at Areavoices.Tags: alexandria sports, sports, legion, baseball
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