Behind a five-run first inning, Glenwood/Lowry Posts 187/253 cruised to victory.
With manager Joe Alexander turning to No. 1 pitcher Marc Gruber to take the mound in the opening game of the Centennial Classic, he knew the offense for Glenwood/Lowry Posts 187/253 would need only a few runs early.
The offense produced plenty for Minnesota’s entry in the four-team tournament celebrating American Legion Baseball’s 100th birthday in Milbank, S.D.
Glenwood/Lowry batted around in the first inning, scoring five runs on six hits in a 10-2 win over LaMoure (N.D.) Post 19 on Friday.
“It’s something we talked to our kids about, when we’re the home team and we got our No. 1 pitcher on the mound, he’s going to go out there and shut them down in the first inning. If we put up any runs in the first, we’re fine, and getting five, that set the tone for us today,” Alexander said.
Miles Wildman set the tone with a leadoff triple, scoring on Dylan Alexander’s one-out single. Noah Jensen followed with the first of his two two-run home runs, and Luke Danielson added a two-run double to close out the scoring in the bottom of the first.
Glenwood/Lowry padded their lead with Levi Johnson’s two-run double in the third and Jensen’s second home run in the fourth.
“Noah is an outstanding offensive player. He’s rewritten the Minnewaska baseball record book in high school in most offensive stats. He hits a lot of (home runs) and a lot of them that far, he’s just a very talented hitter,” Alexander said.
Meanwhile, Gruber was handling LaMoure on the mound, scattering eight hits across 6 1/3 innings. Logan Potts’ two-out double in the fifth inning scored Owen Lesko for LaMoure’s first run; Colby Thielges added an RBI single in the sixth to score Joey Potts.
LaMoure will face the loser of Friday’s second game, between Milbank (S.D.) Post 9 and Broken Bow (Neb.) Post 126, in Game 3 Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. CDT.
For the Minnesota squad, they head into the matchup of winning teams, in Game 4 Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
Alexander said the invitation to participate in the Centennial Classic is an honor for him and his players.
“And to put up a solid effort in Game 1 means a lot but they know that we’re here today and this weekend for a bigger meaning than the game of baseball. It’s about veterans, it’s about American Legion, it’s about history. They’re going to put on a good show for everybody hopefully and we appreciate being here,” he said.
- Baseball