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Coldwater's Bennett Spriggs, Owen Kunk and Braxton Taylor celebrate after the Cavaliers scored in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Minster 1-0 in MAC baseball action at Veterans Field.
COLDWATER - Minster coach Mike Wiss quoted Bobby Knight after Thursday's game with Coldwater.
"The team making the least mistakes is the one favored to win."
Baylen Blockberger scored the lone run of the game on a throwing error as Coldwater maintained its Midwest Athletic Conference baseball lead with a 1-0 decision over the Wildcats at Veterans Field.
The win extend Coldwater's winning streak to 17 straight in moving to 17-1 and 7-0 in the MAC. Minster sees its eight-game winning streak snapped to go to 15-3 and drops out of the tie for second in the conference with Versailles at 6-2.
"It's always a great battle," said Coldwater coach Cory Klenke. "The boys know that going into it. It's good to be able to come away with this one."
Both teams being well-rested - Minster not having played since last Friday against LCC at DayAir Park and Coldwater having played Monday against St. Marys - meant the aces took to the hill.
Coldwater's Owen Kunk and Minster's Louis Magoto put on a clinic. Each allowed the other just two hits with Magoto issuing the lone walk of the night.
Both teams, though, struggled somewhat with errors, but Coldwater's errors proved less serious thanks to great plays from Kunk.
In the fifth, Noah Schwieterman reached on a one-out error, but Kunk fired a perfect pick-off throw that easily resulted in a tag to nip any threat in the bud as Connor Schmiesing then followed with a groundout to end the inning.
Minster's Caleb Couse is tagged out by Coldwater's Baylen Blockberger on a pickoff play.
Then in the sixth, Caleb Couse reached base on an error, but Kunk struck again, firing to Blockberger, who applied the tag as Couse was caught a bit too far from the bag. The play proved big as later Magoto reached on another error, but Kunk managed to get the last out.
"To be able to pick guys off, and when they're the lead-off guy getting on, is huge," said Klenke. "That was something they were trying to: hit and run, steal, whatever. Guys were leaning a little bit and Owen was able to take advantage of it."
Magoto was doing what he did best, not allowing a hit through the first six innings. After issuing a lead-off walk to Brady Lefeld in the first, Magoto retired the next six batters before Bennett Spriggs reached on an error to start the third. After that, the only baserunner the Cavaliers could manage until the seventh was Miles Pottkotter reaching on an error in the bottom of the seventh.
Minster's Louis Magoto took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but took a hard-luck loss.
In the bottom of the seventh, Pottkotter reached on an error. Mason Smith then chopped a shot deep between shortstop and third base to break up the no-hitter. Magoto struck out Cody Depweg for the first out to bring up Baxton Taylor. On the first pitch Magoto offered, Taylor laid down a perfect bunt and dashed for a single. Magoto picked up the ball and threw to first, with the throw being wild and past the first baseman. Blockberger quickly dashed from third to home to end the game.
"When coach Wiss went out to calm down his defense, we tried to take advantage of that and talk about our gameplan," said Klenke. "That was our gameplan: let's try to put down a nice bunt for a hit and see if there's pressure because (Taylor) has plenty of speed. Sure enough, he was able to execute."
"Both teams made a few defensive mistakes," said Wiss. "That led to putting some pressure on us, where a couple of their mistakes led to a couple of running errors (the pick-offs) that took us out of putting pressure on them. You get a well-pitched game and try to put pressure on the defense."
Both teams are back in action this evening. Coldwater travels to Lincolnview while Minster holds its Hospice Night game with St. Marys. The junior varsity plays at 4:30 p.m. with the varsity following.
