The Hastings Raiders baseball team made a statement with a big win over the South Suburban’s top team, the Lakeville South Cougars, pulling away for an 8-4 decision.
The Cougars opened up a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning, but Gavin Odman was able to shake off an admittedly troublesome start and regather himself after that. The Raiders would get on the board in the bottom of the 2nd with three runs, in what at that point was a tie game 3-3.
The Raiders bats continued to work through the 4th, extending the lead to 5-3 as Odman settled in.
Lakeville South would get a run back in the top of the 5th inning to cut it to 1, but Hastings would keep their foot on the gas, extending it to 6-4 in the 5th and 8-4 in the 6th. Aaron Vandehoef came in and got two strikeouts on Senior Night to finish off the Cougars.
The Raiders went to 13-5 on the year with the win.
Game Stats
Eddie Peine went 2-4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs
Cade Kimmes went 1-2 with 2 walks and 2 runs
Sawyer Tjomsland scored a run in a crazy somersault over the catcher at the plate
Blake Vandehoef went 1-3 with a hit and a run
Evan Nelson went 2-4 with an RBI
Mark DeNoyer had a walk and a run and made his first appearance at catcher of the season
Mitch Iliff continued his impressive run as of late going 2-4 with 2 hits and an RBI
Tanner Anselment had a run and an RBI and was hit by a pitch for an astounding 10th time in the 2023 season.
Pitching wise, Odman got the win, going 6 innings on the mound, with 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 earned, 2.33 ERA, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Aaron Vandehoef pitched in the 7th, giving up a hit, and striking out 2 with an ERA of 0.00.
The Raiders have a big matchup Thursday with Eastview before they find out their section fate Thursday night
