Taylor Smith, Sports Editor
Last Thursday, the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows baseball team experienced an away game like never before.
The Cowboys faced off against Bishop Garrigan (6-4) at Target Field in Minneapolis as part of the Minnesota Twins’ six-game high school baseball series.
First, North Central Conference baseball fans who took the trip watched the Minnesota Twins fall 16-3 to the Texas Rangers.
Then, it was the high schoolers’ turn to take the field.
Cowboy second baseman Tristan Kakacek led off the game with a single and 8th grader Paxton Lingenfelter hit a double to right center in the top of the 1st. The Cowboys had the bases loaded, and Jacob Ruba nearly scored on a passed ball. Unfortunately, he was thrown out at home and the game remained scoreless.
The Golden Bears were ready to come to the plate, but rainy conditions caused a forty-minute pause in the action.
After play resumed, Ruba took the mound and allowed a one-out single to left field. The freshman kept his composure and retired the next two batters to end the inning.
The red and black would score the game’s first run in the top of the 2nd. Huxley Lingenfelter led off the frame with a single to left and Logan Legleiter was brought in to courtesy run. A few batters later, 8th grader Kohen Langfitt hit an RBI groundout in his first varsity at bat to put CGD up 1-0.
With two outs in the bottom of the 2nd, Bishop Garrigan’s Kayden Graves reached first on a Cowboy error. Drew Muller followed that up with an infield single and Thadd Kollasch walked to load the bases and bring up the top of the order. Graves scored the equalizing run after a passed ball, but the Cowboys were able to stop the bleeding with a pop out.
In the top of the 3rd, Ruba reached first after taking four balls. The Cowboys took a 2-1 lead after Ethan Hasty’s double to center brought the speedy Ruba home.
Kakacek led off the top of the 5th with a standup double, but the Cowboys were unable to bring him home.
Bishop Garrigan got the best of Cowboy pitching in the bottom of the 5th. Carter Schwab’s two-run triple gave the Golden Bears a 3-2 lead, and they scored on a passed ball a batter later.
Bishop Garrigan scored again in the 6th and went on to win, 5-2.
Ruba pitched four innings, struck out three, and allowed five hits and two walks. Kakacek went 2-for-4 with a single and a double.
The Cowboys (6-10) return to action with a Monday night home doubleheader against the Clear Lake Lions (6-6). They are set to play Rockford (0-10) at home on Tuesday and Lake Mills (8-2) on the road on Thursday.
