(Carroll) Kuemper, Catholic, scored four runs in the first inning and held off Atlantic 8-7 in a high school baseball game at Merchant Park in Carroll on Wednesday night.
The Knights scored eight runs on seven hits and committed two errors. Atlantic scored seven runs on eight hits and committed six errors.
Austin Tigges picked up the win on the mound for Kuemper. In his four innings of work, Tiggers struck out six batters and walked two. The senior got off to a great start striking out the side in the top of the first inning. The Knights responded with four runs on one hit, and took advantage of three errors, two walks, and a hit batter, and opened up a 4-0 lead.
The Knights added to the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Blake Pottebaum singled, advanced to second on an error, and raced home on Austin Tigges RBI double to put the home team up 5-0.
Atlantic got on the board in the top of the third inning on Ethan Sturm’s Sacrifice fly driving home Brendan Atkinson. The Knights countered in the bottom of the frame when Logan Sibenaller drove home a run on their side of the fourth, giving Kuemper a 6-1 cushion.
However, the Trojans made a run at the Knights midway through the contest with three runs on two hits in the top of the fourth inning. Gunner Kirchhoff drilled a two-RBI double to tighten the score to 6-4. But the Knights came back with another run in the bottom half of the fourth when Trevor Rial scored on a ground ball to push the Knights to a 7-4 lead.
Kuemper went down in order in the fourth, and Grant Sturm followed with a two-RBI single in the fifth to bring the Trojans within one run (7-6). Kuemper countered with a run in the bottom of the sixth and pushed the lead to 8-6. The Trojans answered on Garrett McLaren’s RBI single in the top of the 7th, but that is as close as Atlantic would get. Blake Pottebaum finished with three straight strikeouts to stymie the Trojans rally.
Logan Sibenaller led Kuemper with three hits, one RBI, two stolen bases, and two runs.
Garrett McLaren led Atlantic with three hits and two-RBI. Gunner Kirchhoff drilled two hits, and one RBI, and Grant Sturm stroked a two-RBI single for the Trojans.
Atlantic is now 2-2 on the season, and travel to St. Albert tonight. Kuemper is 2-0 and plays in the CYO Tournament at St. Mary’s Remsen this weekend.
