The Prairie baseball team played 3 league games this past week. They split a doubleheader against Troy at Lewiston, winning 8-7 then losing 4-7, on Friday, April 30. Then on Monday, May 3, they traveled to Genesee where they won 14-3.
Dalton Ross had 4 hits to lead Prairie to a come-from behind win in the opener against Troy.
Troy scored 2 runs in the first off starter Chase Kaschmitter and made it 0-7 with a 5-run fourth inning  with Connor Schwartz coming on in relief.
Prairie got on the board with a run in the bottom of the sixth then erupted for 6 runs in the sixth inning to tie the game at 7-7.
They scored a walk-off win with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Prairie had 13 hits in the game led by Ross who had 3 singles and a double. Colton McElroy had a double and single. Chase Kaschmitter and Travis Alfrey each had a pair of singles. Brody Hasselstrom had a double and Reece Shears and Lane Remacle each had a single.
Troy was the home team for the second game and took a 0-3 lead in the bottom of the second.
Prairie got on the board with 2 runs in the third but Troy answered to make it 2-4.
The Pirates tied it with 2 runs in the fifth inning but Troy came back with 3 runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull out the split.
Colton McElroy started on the mound in the second game with Alfrey coming on in relief in the fourth.
The Pirates outhit the Trojans 11-7 in the second game.
Chase Kaschmitter had a double and 2 singles. Ross, McElroy and Hasselstrom each had 2 singles. Dean Johnson and Schwartz each had a single.
Game 1
Troy   2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0—7   8 2
Prairie 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 1—8 13 4
Game 2
Prairie 0 0 2 0 2 0 0—4 11 2
Troy   0 3 1 0 3 0 x—7   7 2
In the earlier game at Cottonwood, Prairie lost to Genesee 10-20. They were able to turn the tables this time on Genesee’s brand new baseball field.
Prairie took the lead right away as Reece Shears led off with a single to left. He stole second then went to third on a wild pitch. He scored when Chase Kaschmitter beat out an infield hit.
Kaschmitter started the game on the mound for the Pirates and got the side out in order in the bottom of the first.
In the second inning Alfrey reached on a 1-out single but wound up stranded on second.
In the bottom of the second Kaschmitter gave up a leadoff single but after a popup, got out of the inning as Prairie turned a double play.
In the third inning Shears again led off with a single and stole second. He went to third on a wild pitch. Ross worked a walk and stole second. Both runners scored on a single to right by Kaschmitter to make it 3-0.
Genesee got to Kaschmitter for a pair of runs in the bottom o the third on 2 singles, a walk, an error and a sacrifice fly. That cut the lead to 3-2.
Prairie took control in the fourth though as they sent 15 hitters to the plate and scored 9 runs. Alfrey led off with a single and Hasselstrom followed with a single. Noah Behler tried to bunt the runners over but Alfrey was forced at third. Shears then picked up his third hit of the game to load the bases. Ross walked to forced in a run. Kaschmitter doubled to the fence in right to score 2 runs. Johnson doubled to the fence in left field to bring home 2 more runs. McElroy singled. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. An attempted pickoff at third sailed into left field as Johnson scored but the Genesee left fielder got to the ball in time and made a perfect throw to third to catch McElroy trying to advance. Schwartz walked and Genesee changed pitchers. Alfrey up for the second time was hit by a pitch and Hasselstrom walked to reload the bases. Behler reached on an error as Schwartz scored. Shears then picked up his fourth single of the game to score Alfrey. Ross drew his second bases loaded walk of the inning for force in Hasselstrom and make it 12-2.
Genesee picked up a run in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff single followed by a double. After a walk, Kaschmitter bore down and struck out the next 3 batters to leave the score at 12-3.
Prairie got a leadoff double by Johnson in the fifth and McElroy was hit by a pitch but Prairie was unable to score.
In the bottom of the fifth Kaschmitter gave up a leadoff walk but then got a forceout at second on a comebacker. After a strikeout, Kaschmitter was lifted for Schwartz as the next hitter already had a pair of hard hit singles off of him. Schwartz induced a groundout to second to end the inning.
In the fifth Hasselstrom led off with a walk but was forced at second by Behler. Shears then forced Behler at second for 2 quick outs. Shears stole second and scored on a double by Ross that hit the fence on the fly in right field. He went to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch to make it 14-3.
Schwartz then closed out the game as he struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth enabling Prairie to end the game on the 10-run mercy rule.
Kaschmitter pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks. Schwartz played the roll of closer facing 4 batters and getting them all out, 3 by strikeout.
Prairie had 14 hits led by Shears who had 4 singles and an RBI with 3 stolen bases. Kaschmitter had a double and 2 singles and 5 RBI. Johnson had 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Alfrey had a pair of singles. Ross had a double and 3 RBI. McElroy and Hasselstrom each had a single.
Prairie is now 10-4 on the season and 10-3 in league play.
Their final regular season game is Thursday against C.V. With a win in that game they should be able to avoid the District play-in games next Tuesday, May 11. If they lose they would likely host one of the play-in games.
Prairie     1 0 2 9 0 2—14 14 1
Genesee 0 0 2 1 0 0—  3   5 2