Mounder baseball ends season with sectional loss to Durand

By Cara L. Dempski

CUMBERLAND — Mounder head coach Paul Andrea knew his team’s sectional semifinal appearance against Durand could go either way.

“I thought both of our games this year could have gone either way with them in the conference,” Andrea said.

The teams split their two regular season meetings this season and shared the large Dunn-St. Croix baseball championship.

“I expected more of the same (at Cumberland), with both pitchers getting a chance to win the rubber match,” added Andrea.

Sadly for Elk Mound, the Panthers came out of the gate with more fire and intensity, putting the game out of reach early to hand the Mounders a five-inning, 10-0 sectional loss.

The Mounders traveled to the June 6 sectional semifinal game at Cumberland with high expectations after slipping past another Dunn-St. Croix foe, Boyceville, to win a regional championship May 31.

 Andrea described the team as loose and relaxed in the time leading up to the game, but could not put his finger on what happened as the game started.

Trey Mohr initially took the mound for the orange and black, but struggled to find his pitches, walking the first two batters he faced before allowing a trio of runs. Mohr was replaced by teammate Blake Rosenthal in the second inning after being unable to register an out in that frame.

A combination of shaky pitching from Elk Mound and aggressive base-running from Durand led to the Panthers tacking on another five runs in the  bottom of the second inning for an 8-0 lead over the Mounders.

An infield fly from Mohr helped Logan Bergh and Dylan Curry advance to second and third after the duo got on base with a pair of singles in the top of the third. Dane Lew took a walk to load the bases with two outs before the Panthers took out Hunter Adleman swinging to end the Mounders’ threat.

Rosenthal was able to limit the Durand boys to a single run in the third, after a fly ball to deep right from Brett Schlosser sent Reid Hanson around to score, extending the Panthers’ lead to 9-0 before Rosenthal could catch Brett Pelke swinging to end the inning.

Elk Mound’s Carter Pritchard earned a walk to start off the fourth before Rosenthal clocked a fly to center field that the Durand outfielder dropped to help him land safely on first. The Panthers still got the ball in to second in time take out Pritchard, before they caught a fly-out to center from Dylan Black and Durand hurler Josh Biesterveld struck Rosenthal out swinging.

The Mounders entered dangerous territory in the bottom half of the fourth when sophomore Christian O’Keefe raced home after Mohr dropped an infield fly that allowed Durand to score its tenth run of the game.

The Elk Mound squad’s last ditch effort in the top of the fifth started with Bergh hitting a line drive to the Durand shortstop. He was beaten to first by the throw, which sent Mohr to the plate. The senior lined to shortstop, but was able to reach base safely on an error.

Ethan Kjellberg then stepped up to bat, but popped an infield fly handled easily by the Panthers’ shortstop.

Lew then lined a drive past second base to reach first, which would have given Adleman a chance to drive in a pair of runners with a hard hit. Instead, the senior slugger flew out to center field to end the game.

Coach Andrea said after the game the team did not seem to have it in them last Tuesday to get past Durand, but he is still proud of the season the Mounders had, and feels the sectional match-up should not define Elk Mound’s season.

He also noted the team will miss the four seniors heading off to college, Lew, Adleman, Mohr and Pritchard, but seems to think there is still plenty of young talent in the program for years to come.

Elk Mound, who committed four errors in the game were outhit – 8 to 4 – by Durand. Curry finished with two of those hits for the Mounders while Bergh and Lew had the other two.

Mohr suffered the pitching loss, surrendering four hits and eight runs while walking three. Rosenthal finished the final four innings on the mound, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out five. 

The Mounders won their first conference title since 2013, and a regional championship to finish this season at 17-8.

Durand lost 3-0 to Cumberland in the sectional final.

ELK MOUND 0, DURAND 10
Elk Mound…………………0  0  0  0  0 —   0
Durand……………………..3  5  1  1  0 — 10