It took 9 innings, but the Hastings Raiders baseball team took down North St. Paul 2-1 to earn the season sweep over the Polars as heard live on KDWA. The Raiders fell behind 1-0, then despite a slow offense earned a run on a Peyton Perseke walk, who then stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, then scored on a balk to tie the score at 1. That score lasted with neither team earning many opportunities to score until the seventh inning, when both the Polars and Raiders stranded the bases loaded to force extra innings. Hastings starter Zach Simon went the full seven innings before giving way to Brady Hendrickson, who pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win. In the bottom of the seventh, Zander McVicker hit a leadoff double, and was then bunted over by Hendrickson to third, when Luke Niederkorn hit a sacrifice fly to right field that earned the Raiders the win. Head coach Ryan Stoffel said a win is a win.
Hastings will have a crucial conference and section matchup against Two Rivers tomorrow.
A ten-run second inning for Two Rivers doomed the Hastings softball team as they fell to the Warriors 14-3 in five innings. Two Rivers got out to the big lead, but the Raiders found some offense in the third inning plating three to trail 10-3. But Two Rivers plated four more runs to end the game early. The Raiders are back in action today on the road at Woodbury.