Cubs pick up two wins to improve to 10-1

BROOKINGS – The Brookings Cubs picked up a pair of wins at Bob Shelden Field this week and improved to 10-1 on the season in the process.

Brookings beat Harrisburg 11-4 on Thursday night and then topped Tea 15-5 in seven innings on Sunday night. The Cubs’ lone loss was a forfeit to Renner on June 13. The Cubs will play Harrisburg again on Wednesday, this time on the road. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Thursday

Brookings 11, Harrisburg 4

The Cubs jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first two innings and rode it to the finish line on Thursday night.

Brookings scored three runs in the first inning. Carson Jager hit a lead-off double and Rhett Zelinsky followed with a single. Isaac Boner sent Jager home with a single and then Michael Zimmerman hit a two-run double to push the lead to 3-0.

The Cubs scored four runs with two outs in the bottom of the second. Jager started the two-out rally with a single and then he came home on a triple from Zelinsky. Zelinsky then scored on a wild pitch. Bonner came to the plate with a runner on first and launched one over the right field fence to make it 7-0.

The Woodies scored a run on a single in the top of the fifth to make it 7-1. They would then hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 7-3. 

The Cubs got one run back in the bottom of the sixth as Colin Gibson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. An RBI single from Harrisburg in the top of the eighth made it 8-4.

Justin Cofell came to plate for the Cubs with two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the eighth. He came through with a double and that scored Bonner and Zimmerman and made it 10-4. Cofell later scored on an Arlen Peters single to make it 11-4. 

Harrisburg hit a one-out single in the top of the ninth but Nathan Motl lined out to Parker Winghart and he threw it back to first to complete a double play and end the game. 

Brookings had 13 hits in the win. Bonner was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Zimmerman was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Cofell was 1-for-1 with two RBIs and Zelinsky was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jager was 3-for-6 and Peters was 1-for-5 with an RBI. Lincoln Vasgaard was 1-for-4 and Gibson had an RBI without a hit.

Vasgaard pitched the first seven innings for the Cubs and was awarded the win. He gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Cofell pitched the final two innings and gave up one earned run on four hits.

Sunday

Brookings 15, Tea 5 (7 inn.)

The Cubs fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning but controlled the game the rest of the way.

The Steam two runs on a single and then a run from a wild pitch made it 3-0. Another RBI single pushed the lead to four heading into the bottom of the inning.

Brookings responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Jager led off the inning with a walk and Zelinsky followed with a single. Both runners came home on a triple from Winghart and then he scored on a ground out from Zimmerman.

The Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the third. Zimmerman and Mitch Olson hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning and then both runners came home on a single from Vasgaard to make it 5-4.

Brookings struck for three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jager led off with a double and then scored on a triple from Zelinsky. Zelinsky then trotted home on a double from Winghart to make it 7-4. Two batters later Winghart scored on a single from Olson, making it 8-4 heading into the fifth.

Tea got one run back with a solo home run to start the fifth inning. However, the Cubs blasted a home run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Reid Barnard hit a lead-off double and then Jager ripped one over the right field fence to push the lead to 10-5. 

Vasgaard then came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out and he hit a double that scored Zelinsky and Winghart. Myles Rees then drove Vasgaard and Zimmerman home with a single and that made it 14-5. 

Brookings then ended the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Olson led off the inning with a single and then Rees put two runners on with a single of his own. Barnard came to the plate with two outs and singled to right field and Olson came home as the game-winning run due to the 10-run rule.

The Cubs racked up 19 hits in the seven-inning victory. Vasgaard was 4-for-5 with four RBIs and Winghart was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Jager was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Rees was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Olson was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Zelinsky was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Barnard was 2-for-5 with an RBI and Zimmerman was 1-for-4 with an RBI. 

Barnard pitched the first six innings for the Cubs. He gave up five runs, one earned, on six hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Cofell pitched an inning and gave up one hit with no strikeouts or walks.