Hornets drop opener in 11 innings to Knights

The Haugen Knights scored 4 runs with two-outs in the top of the 11th and defeated the Hornets 6-2 in the Hornets season opening game in front of a large crowd at the Haugen Ballpark.
Starting pitchers Matt Juza for the Hornets and Ryan Gerber for the Knights matched zeros on the scoreboard for the first five innings of the game. The Knights used an error, a single by Ryan Neil, and an infield single from Derek Robarge to score an unearned run in the top of the sixth to take 1-0.
Reliever Isaac Rohde came on for Juza in the top of the seventh, and kept the Knights off the board until the top of the ninth, when a single by Gerber, throwing error on pickoff attempt and two-out single by Rob Berger put the Knights up 2-0 going to the bottom of the ninth.
Knights reliever Jordan Crotteau walked the leadoff hitter to start the bottom of the ninth and Zack Fisher followed with a single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. A sacrifice bunt by Juza put runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out. With Nolan Rowe batting and a 2-0 count, Crotteau threw a wild pitch, the runner from third attempted to score and was called out on a very close play at the plate, leaving a runner at 3rd and two outs. Rowe then walked and stole second. Another walk followed to load the bases for Rohde. Rohde singled up the middle, scoring both Fisher and Rowe to tie the game at 2-2, Crotteau escaped however with no further damage.
Both teams got a runner to third in the tenth, but neither team was able to push a run across the plate.
Gerber singled in the top of the 11th and scored on Neil's two-out single to put the Knights up 3-2. An error in left field on high flyball kept the Knights 11th going, and they capitalized with three run scoring singles to make the score 6-2.
Callub Paulson, the third Knights pitcher on the day, picked up the win and Rohde took the loss.

Date: June 16, 2019     Time: 1:00pm      Venue: Haugen