The Rochester baseball team got off to a strong start on Tuesday at home against Woodland, but the Beavers battled back and rallied late to hand the Warriors a 9-5 loss.
“We were up early and couldn’t put them away when we should’ve,” Rochester coach Brad Quarnstrom said. “That’s what non-league is for, to try and learn and grow from our mistakes.”
Rochester put up two in the first inning and added one in both the second and third to take a 4-0 lead.
Woodland responded with one in the fourth, but the game flipped in the fifth.
A single and an error put two Beavers on, and one came across to score on an RBI groundout. Three extra-base hits in the next four at-bats brought home three to give Woodland a 5-4 lead.
“We just couldn’t get an out,” Quarnstrom said.
Woodland added three more in the sixth to pull away, and a late attempt at a rally was squashed when a runner was thrown out at third in the bottom of the seventh.
Tayden Martin got the start on the mound, and he allowed just five hits and three runs (two earned) while walking one and striking out five.
“Tayden threw exceptionally well,” Quarnstrom said. “We gotta hit the ball better. Six hits isn’t gonna cut it most nights … We’re still trying to figure out who we are. We’re figuring it out as we go.”
The Warriors (1-1) will get the chance to bounce back at home on Thursday, when they’ll host Black Hills in another non-league game.
