Saturday, March 16, 2013 - Page 1BMorris, Minnesota 56267SSSSuuuunnnnTTTTrrrriiiibbbbSPORTS

UMM Sports Information

The University of Minnesota, Morrisopened the 2013 baseball season with asplit versus Carleton College Friday,March 8 at the Metrodome.

The Cougars took the early 1-0 lead inthe season opener, but fell 8-2 to theKnights in the first of two. Game twowas a pitching duel that went extrainnings before the Cougars picked up the2-1 walk-off win on Neil Arvold’s single.Dallas Coleman went nine and one-thirdinnings, giving up just one run on twohits in game two.

GAME 1Jake Schmitz singled with one out in

the top of the first and advanced to thirdas the ball got under the sliding center-fielder and went to the wall. JasonHodson then grounded out to second toplate Schmitz, giving the Cougars the 1-0lead after a half inning.

The Knights struck back in the bot-tom half of the inning picking up atriple and a sacrifice fly foul down theline in the left.

Scott Peterson connected for a doublewith two outs in the top of the second,but was stranded there as the inningended one batter latter.

Carleton took the lead in the bottom ofthe inning, scoring twice, both comingunearned.

After the Cougars went down in orderin the third, the Knights picked up twomore runs, extending their lead to 5-1.

UMM did not have a hit in the fourthor fifth inning and the Knights addedthree runs in their half of the fourth totake a commanding 8-1 lead. The leadstuck until the top of the sixth.

Dalton DeGraffenreid singled to startthe inning, but was retired on a fielder'schoice allowing Eric Terres to reach.After Schmitz drew a walk, Hodsonpicked up his second RBI of the gamesingling to left and scoring Terres fromsecond. It was as close as the Cougarswould get as Carleton went down inorder in the bottom of the sixth and theCougars did the same in their half of theseventh.

GAME 2Carleton took the lead in the top of

the first picking up a run playing smallball. Their leadoff hitter drew a walkand then went to third on a sacrificebunt by the number-two hitter. That run-ner scored as the next batter groundedout to short. It was the only run thatColeman allowed as he gave up just twohits in nine and a third innings.

The Cougars went down in order inthe first and second innings, but tied thegame up in the third. Derrick Fossreached on an error by the first base-man, who was unable to handle a shortthrow. Arvold sacrificed Foss to secondwith a bunt to third. With two outsTerres drove in Foss with a single to left,but was thrown out trying to take secondon the throw to the plate.

UMM opens baseballseason with DH split

The Winter Sports Awards programwill be held Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m.in the Morris Area High SchoolAuditorium.

Parents of athletes participating inwinter sports, including MorrisArea/Chokio-Alberta girls’ and boys’basketball, gymnastics, and boys’ swim-

ming and diving; MorrisA r e a / H a n c o c k / C h o k i o - A l b e r t awrestling; and Morris Benson Area boys’and girls’ hockey, are encouraged toattend.

The sports boosters will be servingturnovers in the cafeteria following theprogram.

Winter sports awards

The New London-SpicerWildcats knocked MorrisArea/Chokio-Alberta outof the postseason with a76-49 victory Monday nightat St. John’s University toadvance in the Section6AA South basketballtournament. The gamewas postponed fromSaturday.

With the loss the Tigersfinish the season 19-8 over-all.

The Wildcats went on toplay the No. 1 seed,Litchfield Dragons,Wednesday and were elim-inated 69-51.

New London-Spicer fin-ishes the season with a 14-15 record playing in itsnew home, the WrightCounty Conference.

Wildcat guards JoeyDreier and Aaron Rutereach canned a trio of treysin the first half and BrettOlson, a forward, hit twomore.

Olson’s bomb from theside made it 39-14 with 4:46showing on the first halfclock and the Tigers’ coachMark Torgerson took histhird time out. Out of thetime out, Dreier pulled upand deposited another

three.“They outhustled us,”

said Torgerson. “I thoughtwe would have competedharder being a seniorteam. But those threestake something out of you.

“They were open andthey buried them. Creditthem. Their guards were astep quicker and overallthey are a little quicker,but we’ve played quickerteams before and donewell.”

The two teams playedrelatively even in the sec-ond half, but the Tigerswere unable to make upground.

“The Wildcats shot asizzling 60 percent for theentire game and madenine of their 12 three-pointbaskets to beat the Tigersfor the second time in twow e e k s , ” e x p l a i n e dTorgerson. “This one,however, was not like thefirst game in which theTigers led almost theentire game before NL-Srallied to tie it late andthen win the game in over-time.

“The play-off game wasall NL-S from the start asthey made eight of theirfirst nine three-point bas-kets to take control of thegame,” added Torgerson.“The Tigers never recov-ered and it was just one ofthose nights.

“The Tigers had openlooks, but had no threepointers in a frustratingfirst half in which theyused three time outs tostop the Wildcat momen-tum with little success,”Torgerson said. “AustinDierks, Nic Vipond, andJohn Tiernan got a fewinside baskets, but theTiger offense was held tojust 23 first-half points andtrailed 44-23 at the break.”

Vipond and Dierks eachhad six points in the firsthalf.

“The Tigers tried differ-ent defenses, threw a pressat the Wildcats, and triedalmost everything they

could on offense, but could-n't hold back the streakingWildcats.

“The Tigers didn't stopworking in the second half,but the Tiger defense wasjust not able to stop theWildcat offense,” addedTorgerson. “NL-S gotgreat balance in the sec-ond half as 10 differentplayers scored. The Tigers'Jacob Torgerson hit a pairof threes in the secondhalf, but it would be theonly two three pointers theTigers made out of 21attempts.”

Vipond collected anoth-er seven points in the sec-ond half to give him ateam-high 13 points for theTigers, while LoganManska tallied five morepoints to give him 10 forthe night. They were theonly two Tigers in doublefigures.

“Shooting percentagefor the Tigers was only 31percent, a stat that hurtthem in several games,”continued Torgerson. “TheTiger defense, a strongpoint most of the season,

failed them on this night,but much of the creditgoes to a hot shootingWildcat team.

“The Tigers made nineof their 11 free throws and

were just a few short onthe rebounding charts, butthe shooting percentageproved to be the differ-ence,” said Torgerson.

Tigers get knocked out of post-season play by NL-S Wildcats

See Tigers Page 3B

See Cougars Page 4B

Nancy Olson/Sun Tribune

Tiger fans left their hockey uniforms and wrestling singlets at home to sport a retro look atthe Section 6AA-South play-off basketball game Monday at St. John’s University. Picturedare (from left) Morris Area seniors Darion Helberg, Connor Metzger, Joel Harrison, andTanner Picht.

Nancy Olson/Sun Tribune

Nic Vipond puts up two of his team-high 13 points Mondayat St. John’s University.

Nancy Olson/Sun Tribune

Tom Holland applies defense on a Wildcat Monday at St. John’s University.

Nancy Olson/Sun Tribune

Austin Dierks attempts to block a Wildcat shot Monday.