JACKSON – Ryan Rasche threw his second straight complete game as he led Jackson to a 3-1 win over Fox Lake in First Nite League amateur baseball Sunday at Wacker Field.
Rasche allowed four hits, walked one batter, hit one and struck out 13.
He finished the game strong. After allowing two hits to start the sixth inning he retired the final 12 batters of the game, recording six of his strikeouts including striking out the side in the seventh.
“The arm felt good,” said Rasche, who is Jackson’s all-time leader in wins. “The young guys play fall baseball and spring ball and other sports so they’re in shape when they come to this but for us older guys the season is pretty much getting in shape so you spend the first few games getting the arm in shape and finally today it felt good and I was able to throw strikes and get some guys out and get the win.”
While he did reach double digits in strikeouts, Rasche has plenty of trust in his teammates behind him.
“I’m confident that if they’re putting the ball in play and I’m not getting many strikeouts we’ll still pick it up and throw and get the outs,” he said. And way we can get the win is good.”
Jackson Manager Scott Bahr will certainly take it, but complete games are a rare occurrence for the Bulls.
“You always expect Ryan to have control,” Bahr said. “You expect him to go out and give a real good effort and give us a chance every game. Do you expect nine innings? No. The Bulls hardly ever have complete games and now that’s two in a row for Ryan. We didn’t talk during the game until after the eighth inning. I looked at him and said ‘are you good?’ and he said ‘yep.’ Ryan’s been with me for 15 or 16 years so we kind of have a body language thing where we can look at each other and know what is going on, so it was a situation where I said ‘okay, we’re going to let him go.’”
Rasche was in command throughout.
“Early in the game he had a lot of one- and two-pitch outs. I’ve been working with some of the younger guys trying to point that out. If can have a six- or eight-pitch inning you get to tack that on at the end of the game. If you start a game with a 28- or a 35-pitch inning you’re probably not going to see the seventh inning, let alone the eighth or ninth. In order to pitch deep into a game you have to have some quick outs. You have to trust your defense. Sometimes you have to give into a hitter. There was no consideration. It was going to be his game.”
Fox Lake scored the first run of the game with Payton Anderson scoring after a Jackson miscue getting the ball into the infield on Wyatt Geistfeld’s double.
The Bulls took advantage of an error by the Foxes. Ben Spaeth pinch-ran for Blaise Jacobsen and scored the run.
Chris Gumto walked to lead off the seventh, Payton Handevidt doubled to center and Alex Bretzman reached on an error to load the bases.
With one out, pinch-hitter Nate Monson delivered a double that scored Gumto and Handevidt.
“Nate’s a gamer. He’s done everything for us,” Bahr commented. “He’s pitched, played short, caught, played the outfield. Two nights ago in Blue Earth he caught the whole game and Mason (Pohlman) sat. Early in the year I’m not sure some of my older guys are in shape, especially the catchers. It’s hard duty. You go to work all day and then you show up and try to play amateur baseball so we try to get them some days off.
“Today was Mons’s day off, but he knows he can get called on at any time and he’s going to get one hack. He went up there and his approach was great. He knew he was not going to get another chance. I was really proud of him there. He’s a great team player and he did his job there.”
The Bulls are now 4-2.
“It’s May and we’re winning baseball games and hopefully while we’re winning baseball games we’re getting better,” Bahr said. “It sounds like a cliché but it’s really not when you’ve got a lot of guys who aren’t taking batting practice every day like in college or in high school. We only get to play two or three times a week so you have to play baseball. You have to see pitches. I think we’re getting a little better every game.”
Jackson is scheduled to travel to Fairmont for a 7:30 p.m. game Wednesday.
Sunday games involving Region 13C teams
Jackson 3, Fox Lake 1
Lakefield 15, Worthington 1 (7 innings)
Fairmont 5, Heron Lake 0
Windom 13, Ruthton 1 (8 innings)
Luverne 10, Mountain Lake 3
Milroy Irish 10, Adrian 7
Hadley 5, Pipestone 1
Lakefield at Heron Lake, ppd.