Springers split weekend games; Merchant’s Night Saturday

For June 5 Cold Spring Record

COLD SPRING, Minn. – The Cold Spring Springers split their weekend home games, losing 8-7 to the Cold Spring Rockies on Saturday, June 2, and then defeating Sauk Centre 8-7 on Sunday, June 3. Both games came down to the last at-bat for the Springers.

In the loss to the Cold Spring Rockies, the Springers jumped out to a 3-0 lead after six innings. Darren Heying’s single in the fifth scored the first two runs for the Springers. The Rockies were held hitless until the seventh inning. The Rockies scored five runs in the eighth and three runs in the ninth inning to take an 8-3 lead. The Springers rallied for four runs in the bottom of ninth inning, but Rockies’ reliever Darren Stommes collected two straight strikeouts with the bases loaded and one out in the inning to save the game. John Rossman earned the win for the Rockies after three-plus innings of work, while Zach Reif took the loss on the mound. Heying and Ben Griffin each collected two hits, while Heying and Rick Burtzel each collected two RBI. Brad Koltes’ fly-ball that was dropped in the outfield for an error and scored two runs proved to be the winning runs in the game for the Rockies.

Eric Decker had the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning that scored two runs to give the Springers an 8-7 win over Sauk Centre. Cold Spring scored four runs in the second inning to erase an early 2-0 Titan lead. Sauk Centre scored two runs in the third, two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth inning to lead 7-4. Mike Holman had three hits, while Decker, Steve Huls, Darren Heying and Gary Kiess each had two hits in the win. Zach Femrite collected the win after pitching the final three innings in relief of starting pitcher Andy Bulson. Titan pitcher Joe Fredrichs pitched a complete game and went 4-for-4 at the plate with a two-run home run.

Cold Spring is now 9-2 overall and 5-0 in the Lakewood League.

The Springers are scheduled to play four games this coming week. The Springers will host Sartell at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 6; travel to Kimball at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 9; host St. Martin at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 9, for Merchant’s Night; and then travel to Sauk Rapids Jimmy’s at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10.