By JOHN HANSEN | Norwalk Knights
Norwalk faced the Mississippi Valley League-leading Chaseburg-Coon Valley Blues on July 24, falling 5-1.
C-CV got a run in the first and a run in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Then, the Blues tallied another run in the fourth and two runs in the eighth to take a 5-0 lead. Finally, in the ninth, Silas Ebbert walked and scored on Jordan Murray’s RBI groundout.
Murray also had a solid performance on the mound for Norwalk, pitching a complete game in the 5-1 loss.
The leading hitter was Ashley Thayer, 2-3
Norwalk’s five homers defeat Kendall
The Knights made the short trip to Kendall on Friday to face the Mustangs.
In the first, Norwalk’s Geoff Laudon singled and Thayer followed with a two-run homer to right center.
Dru Mickelson doubled in the third, and Thayer followed with another two-run home run. John Hansen then followed with a home run to center, giving Norwalk a 5-0 lead.
Murray and Clausius walked in the fourth, and Laudon followed with an RBI single. Next, Thayer delivered a two-run single, and Norwalk scored four times to take a 9-0 lead.
Kendall got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, when Tom Wildes walked and scored.
In the fifth, Clausius walked and scored Thayer’s RBI single. Hansen followed with a two-run single as Norwalk scored three more runs.
Kendall got another run in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 12-2.
In the sixth, Murray was hit and Clausius hit his first home run as a Knight to right center.
The Mustangs put up three runs in the sixth on Burch’s RBI single and Allen Roscovius’ two-run double.
In the seventh, Jon Fendt finished out the scoring with a solo home run, and Norwalk took the victory 16-5. Fendt also earned his first win as a Knight, pitching six innings and allowing seven hits.
The leading hitters were Clausius (home run); Dru Mickelson (double); Laudon, 2-4; Thayer, 5-5 (two home runs and eight RBI); Hansen, 4-5 (home run); and Fendt, 3-5 (double, home run).
La Crescent defeats Norwalk 10-3
Norwalk traveled to La Crescent on Monday in the final MVL game of the season.
The Knights and Cardinals came in tied for fourth place in the standings. La Crescent took the command early with a run in the second and five runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. The Cardinals continued the scoring with two runs in both the fifth and sixth to increase the lead to 10-0.
In the seventh, Dru Mickelson walked, and Hansen and Laudon singled to load the bases. Fendt was hit by a pitch to score a run, and two wild pitches brought in two more runs as Norwalk cut the lead to 10-3.
That was as close as it got, and Norwalk finished MVL play in fifth place with a 7-7 record. The Knights’ record is 9-13 overall.
This week’s game
• 12 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at La Crescent