(Audubon, IA) — Glidden Ralston trailed 3-2 going into the top of the 6th inning but the Wildcats plated four runs highlighted by a 2 out 2 run double by Collin Sturm and they beat Audubon 6-4 on Saturday night in the first round of the Class 1A baseball playoffs.
Audubon struck first in the bottom of the first off Wildcat starter Colby Wallace. Jack Stanerson drilled a pitch to the wall in left and went to third on an error. Brody Schultes brought him in on a RBI single. Schultes stole 2nd, moved to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on Mason Steckler’s RBI grounder to make it 2-0 Wheelers.
Audubon starter Adam Obrecht only allowed one hit in the first two innings but Sturm reach on an error with 1 out in the third and stole 2nd. After Jonny Bergmeier struck out, Blayce Nelson singled in Sturm and he later scored on the Wheelers 2nd error of the inning to tie the game 2-2.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Audubon retook the lead on a Brody Weber RBI grounder to score Steckler. Glidden Ralston threatened against Obrecht in the 4th and 5th but came up empty.
In the top of the 6th, Carson Peters started the rally with a double to left center. Landon Rohrbeck flied out but Alex Daniel reached on another Audubon error and Lucas Christian — the 8 hitter — singled to left to score Peters and tie the game at 3-3 although Daniel was thrown out at third base. Weylon Hein followed with an infield single to set the stage for Sturm who drilled one to the left center gap to score Christian and Hein. Bergmeier continued the rally with a RBI single to make it 6-3 Wildcats.
The Wheelers got one back in the bottom of the 6th on a 2 out RBI single from Stanerson to cut the lead to two but that’s as close as they got. Wallace struck out the side in the 7th, finished with 7 strikeouts and Glidden Ralston goest to 9-12 and will play Coon Rapids Bayard on Tuesday.
Audubon’s season ends at 6-16.
Sturm reached based all four times, going 2-3 with 2 runs, 2 RBI, a HBP and reached on an error.
For Audubon: Jack Stanerson was 2-4 with a run and a RBI.
Line Score
Glidden Ralston (9-12) — 6 runs, 11 hits, 2 errors, 7 LOB
Audubon (6-16) — 4 runs, 6 hits, 3 errors, 6 LOB
W: Wallace (2-4)
L: Obrecht (3-5)
Time: 1:33
