No. 1 Knights stymie No. 9 Saints

MASON CITY — The numbers added up in Class 1A No. 9 St. Ansgar’s 11-3 Top of Iowa East Conference loss to top-ranked (1A) Mason City Newman on Friday, June 11.

The Saints were 1-of-6 with runners in scoring position against the Knights as they fell to 10-3 overall, 6-2 TIC East.

“We didn’t come up with that big hit,” coach Devin Schwiesow said. “They did come up with the big hit in the second with the grand slam home run.

“We also walked too many guys to be in that ball game. The No. 1 team in the state, you give up eight free passes, it’s tough to win the game.”

Even though coach Schwiesow said he’d hoped to face the Knights’ ace, Doug Taylor, the sophomore was on the shelf for this game.

“He’s got an oblique injury,” Schwiesow said, “we didn’t see him tonight, we were hoping to, but we’re more focused on ourselves than what they are going to throw at us and I don’t think we were super-disciplined at the plate, either.”

Six hits, five off of starter Matt Henrich, including two for lead-off man Ryan Cole, helped the Saints get their runs, coupled with some Knight miscues in the field, but Newman got to starter Alex Hansen in the second inning with a grand slam by their lead-off hitter, Jack Maznio, to take the lead for good.

“The guys that we threw tonight didn’t have their best stuff,” Schwiesow said. “There are nights you are going to have that, just have to fight through it. I don’t fault our effort, but we didn’t play our best game, but we’ll continue to get better.”