Spartans fall in 9 innings to Old Abes

Jake Sparger’s RBI single in the top of the ninth inning gave the Eau Claire Old Abes a 6-5 win over the Superior High School baseball team Thursday evening at Morrie Arnovich Field.

Sparger’s single, which came on a hit-and-run play, scored Grant Peikert, who singled with one out and moved to second base on an error.

The Spartans had a chance to at least tie the game in the bottom of the ninth when Nik Mattson walked and Grant Rindal singled. But Peikert retired the next three batters to secure the win.

Superior also squandered a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs. The Spartans failed to score when Old Abe pitcher Matt Flesher struck out the next two batters then got Jordan Hughes to ground out.

Hughes’ grounder actually hit ECM second baseman Pedersen in the chest, but the ball rolled to shortstop Peikert, who was standing on second base for the force out.

Peikert was the winning pitcher in relief of Flesher.

Grant Rindal suffered the loss for Superior, allowing two earned runs and four hits while striking out eight and walking three. Myhre pitched the first four innings for Superior, allowing four runs and seven hits while striking out three and walking one.

The Old Abes took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Peikert walked and eventually scored when the Spartans turned a double play.

The Spartans took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Paul Edwards started with a single and scored on Spencer Severson’s hits. After Nik Mattson singled, Severson scored on an error off the bat of Rindal. Jordan McDonald’s sac fly scored Mattson and Rindal scored when Colton Yepma, who walked, stole second.

Nick Pedersen’s two-out single scored Drew Davis for the Old Abes in the second inning and Palmer Buss’ RBI double and Hayden Bowe’s RBI single tied it up in the fourth inning.

The Old Abes took a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning when back-to-back two-out walks were followed by Pedersen’s run-scoring hit.

The Spartans tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth inning when Erick Anderson’s single scored Jordan McDonald, who also singled.

The Spartans finished with 10 hits, two each by Severson and Mattson and one each by Edwards, Trent Olson, Rindal, McDonald, Hughes and Anderson.

The Old Abes had 11 hits, two each by Brady Burzynski, Palmer Buss and Pedersen and one each by Peikert, Sparger, Drew Davis, Tyler Black and Hayden Bowe.

The Spartans (4-4) host Duluth Denfeld at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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