In its only outing of the week, the Marion baseball team swept Remington on the road Tuesday.
The Warriors knocked out 14 hits in a 13-2 victory in Game 1.
Marion scored 11 of its runs in the final three innings, and although the Warriors never trailed, the game was close at the start.
Each team scored one run in the opening inning, then Marion took a 2-1 lead by scoring one run without a hit in the top of the third inning.
Remington tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a bases-loaded walk, but Marion took the lead for good with a four-hit, four-run top of the fifth inning, scoring all four runs with two outs. In that frame, Jacob Vondenkamp drove in two runs with a single, Cole Srajer hit an RBI double, and Mason Pedersen, an RBI single.
A scoreless inning followed, then Marion plated seven runs off four hits and four walks in the seventh inning. Three Warriors hit two-run singles in the frame: Peyton Heidebrecht, Vondenkamp and Srajer. Evann Heidebrecht worked a bases-loaded walk. By the time Remington got out of the half-inning, Marion had taken a 13-2 lead, which held through the final out.
Pedersen was 5-for-6 at-bat and had one RBI. Vondenkamp drove in four runs.
Nathan Baldwin (3-1) earned the pitching win. In four innings, he gave up one hit and two runs (both earned). He walked six batters and struck out six. Corbin Wheeler was credited with the save. He pitched three scoreless innings.
Marion faced Bronco ace, Coleton Crisp, in Game 2. But Blaine Mermis matched him on the mound in a pitchers’ duel in what ended with a 2-1 Warrior victory.
The Warriors plated run support early, scratching across a single tally in the opening frame when Mason Pedersen hit a one-out double and Peyton Heidebrecht drove in a run with a single.
Marion added to its lead when Jacob Vondenkamp led off the third inning with a single and Pedersen drove in a run with a double.
Remington scored one run in the bottom of the third inning, and neither team scored again.
Mermis (2-0) threw a two-hitter to earn the pitching win, surrendering one earned run in seven innings of work. He walked two batters and struck out four.
Marion tallied five hits. Pedersen was 2-for-2 at-bat.
“(Crisp is) one of the best kids we’re going to see all year long,” coach Roger Schroeder said. “Unfortunately for us, we might get to see him again in a regional. He’s good. He’s as advertised. I do nothing but tip my hat to him because we didn’t do a very good job in that game putting the ball in play and putting pressure on their defense. But we did do a good job of getting to him early and making him pitch from behind. We did a great job on defense. Blaine did a great job pitching to contact.
“Today was a good game to play. It’s got a post-season feel to it, except it’s at the end of April instead of the middle of May.”
Coming—Marion (7-1, 12-1) was scheduled to travel to Bennington Tuesday and will host Canton-Galva Friday at 4:30 p.m.
