On Thursday, June 8, the Sox took on the Cardinals for their first home game of the Legion baseball season.
However, any hopes Post 30 might've had about enjoying a smooth home opener, however, were quickly dashed.
The Post 25 Cardinals employed "small ball" to score a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, sending two runners across home plate on a bunt single and a sacrifice fly.
Then – already with a 2-run cushion – Lucas Hendrickson walked out to the mound in the bottom of the frame. Just five pitches later, he was walking back to the dugout having secured three very quick outs.
For Hendrickson, it was just his opening act. For the Sox, it was an ominous sign of what's to come.
Simply put, with Hendrickson pitching the Black Sox were incapable of generating offense.
The closest they got came in the fourth and fifth innings, when walks were issued to the Sox' first baseman Brody Weisenburger and their center-fielder, Keaton Cudworth.
But even on the rare occasions they got someone on base, the Sox simply couldn't capitalize so long as Hendrickson was on the mound, and that's where he stayed all game long.
Hendrickson's efficiency kept his pitch count low, allowing him to keep pitching for as long as he kept recording outs.
By the time the seventh inning came around, he still hadn't reached 70 pitches and still hadn't allowed a hit.
It was the last chance for the Sox to do anything on offense, but Hendrickson induced two batters to ground out and struck out another to complete the no-hitter.
In seven innings, Hendrickson allowed zero runs, zero hits, two walks, and struck out nine batters.
Meanwhile, the starting pitcher for the Black Sox was Connor Knatterud, and he too had a solid outing before the Cards finally broke out on offense in the fifth inning.
A highlight of the game came in the top of the fourth inning when Carrington had runners on first and second, and were looking to extend their lead.
However, a well-executed pick-off throw from Knatterud to second base caught one Cardinal in a pickle between second and third base, and the Sox' defenders managed to run him down and record the out.
Getting a great view of the play was Carrington's runner at first base. It was such a good view, in fact, that he didn't notice the ball make its way to the Sox' first baseman, who quickly tagged him out and completed a unique double play.
Knatterud then struck out the next batter to end a great inning for the Black Sox.
Though they enjoyed a solid game defensively, Hendrickson's dominance was simply too much to overcome that day, and the Cardinals' returned home with a 7-0 victory.
The loss brought the Sox' record to 0-2 overall. Post 30 has also lost both of their second games, which don't count towards their regular season record.
The Black Sox Babe Ruth team, meanwhile, played against Hatton/Northwood on Friday, June 9.
The game was kept close throughout, as both teams gave up unearned runs due to costly errors, but also enjoyed solid hitting on offense. After seven innings the game was tied at 5-5, sending the game to extra innings.
In the eighth inning the Sox weren't able to get anything going offensively, and in the bottom of the frame they were one out away from at least getting to the ninth inning.
Instead, two straight walks were issued before a hard hit double to center field ended the game in walk-off fashion for Hatton/Northwood.
The loss brought the overall record of the Babe Ruth Black Sox to 1-1. They also lost both of their second games.
Both the Babe Ruth and Legion Black Sox were scheduled to play on Wednesday, June 14, and on Friday, June 16. Those games will be covered in the next edition of the Transcript.
District 4
Legion Baseball
Post 30 0, Post 25 7
Thursday, June 8
in New Rockford
Post 25 2 0 0 0 3 1 1 - 7 8 0
Post 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 2
Post 30 Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H BI
C Knatterud 3 0 0 0
Allmaras 3 0 0 0
B Weisenburger 2 0 0 0
A Weisenburger 3 0 0 0
Cudworth 2 0 0 0
Meier 2 0 0 0
Kramlich 2 0 0 0
Simon 2 0 0 0
Schumacher 2 0 0 0
Pitching: IP H ER SO
C Knatterud 6.0 6 5 3
Simon 1.0 2 1 0
Post 25 Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H BI
Erickson 3 2 1 0
Shipman 3 2 1 1
Schmitz 4 1 1 1
Hendrickson 4 1 2 2
Hagel 3 0 1 2
Beckley 0 0 0 0
Ekren 4 0 0 0
Kovar 3 0 1 0
Johnson 3 1 0 0
Bickett 2 0 1 1
Pitching: IP H ER SO
Hendrickson 7.0 0 0 9
Non-District
Legion Baseball
Post 30 3, Post 25 12
Thursday, June 8
in New Rockford
Post 25 0 3 0 3 6 X X - 12 6 1
Post 30 0 2 0 0 1 X X - 3 6 2
Post 30 Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H BI
Knatterud 2 0 0 0
Allmaras 3 0 1 1
B Weisenburger 3 0 1 0
A Weisenburger 2 0 0 0
Cudworth 1 1 1 0
Meier 2 0 0 0
Kramlich 2 1 1 1
Simon 2 1 2 1
Schumacher 2 0 0 0
Pitching: IP H ER SO
Meier 3.0 3 3 3
Schumacher 2.0 3 8 0
Post 25 Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H BI
Otto 2 1 1 0
Clifton 3 1 0 0
Johnson 4 1 1 2
Ekren 4 0 1 1
Beckley 2 1 0 0
Shipman 2 1 1 0
Schmitz 1 0 0 1
Bickett 0 3 0 0
Hagel 1 2 1 1
Erickson 0 0 0 1
Hendrickson 3 2 1 2
Pitching: IP H ER SO
Ekren 4.0 4 1 2
Hagel 1.0 2 1 0
District 4
Babe Ruth Baseball
Black Sox 4, H-N 5
Friday, June 9
in Northwood
BLCK 0 0 0 3 1 X X - 4 5 2
H-N 2 2 0 0 1 X X - 5 5 4
SNR Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H BI
Bichler 3 0 0 0
Schumacher 3 0 0 0
O'Connor 3 0 0 0
Nass 1 1 0 0
A Knatterud 2 1 2 0
Baumbach 2 1 0 0
Gable 2 0 1 1
Demester 2 0 1 1
Benson 2 1 1 0
Nystrom 2 0 1 0
Pitching: IP H ER SO
Bichler 1.0 1 1 1
Demester 3.1 4 1 8
H-N Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H BI
McDonald 1 2 0 0
Steinbrink 2 1 0 0
Meland 2 0 2 1
Enger 2 0 0 0
Howson 2 0 1 0
Naasted 2 1 0 0
Todd 2 0 0 0
Burger 2 0 0 0
Johnson 2 1 1 1
Boe 2 0 1 0
Pitching: IP H ER SO
Meland 4.2 5 0 9
McDonald 0.0 0 0 0
Ness 0.1 0 0 1