The Staples-Motley Cardinals will head out to square off against the Sauk Centre Mainstreeters at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Staples-Motley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, Staples-Motley made easy work of Breckenridge and carried off a 14-4 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cardinals.
Ben Tyrrell
| 04/22/25 @ Perham | 3 |
| 05/01/25 vs Breckenridge | 1 |
| 04/25/25 @ Wadena-Deer Creek | 1 |
Ben Tyrrell made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. He is becoming a predictor of Staples-Motley's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 2-1 (and 1-5-1 when he doesn't). Tyrrell was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Silas Claussen and Cooper Tappe did most of the damage at the plate: Claussen went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Tappe went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Elijah Kossan was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Staples-Motley hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Sauk Centre was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Minnewaska Area.
Sauk Centre saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Leyton Fuchs, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Ethan Isenbart also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Sauk Centre's defeat dropped their record down to 2-8. As for Staples-Motley, they picked up their first home win, bumping their record up to 3-6-1.
Sauk Centre's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Staples-Motley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .440. It's a different story for Sauk Centre, though, as they've only averaged .343. Will they be able to contain Staples-Motley's hitters?
Staples-Motley skirted past Sauk Centre 3-2 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
