Somerset dropped their record down to 8-4 on Thursday, which also ended the team's eight-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season. They fell just short of the St. Croix Central Panthers by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Spartans have suffered since April 23, 2024.
Kane Donnelly was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Donnelly was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Donnelly wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Nolan Teske, who went 1-for-4 with one RBI. Mason Schmidt was another, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
As for St. Croix Central, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory they have posted since May 18, 2024.
On St. Croix Central's side, the team relied heavily on Eli Babler, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and one stolen base. Babler has become a key player for the Panthers: the team is undefeated when he posts at least one home run, but 3-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Brett Graese, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Somerset will challenge Ellsworth at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for St. Croix Central, they will face off against New Richmond at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
