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EAST GRAND FORKS — East Grand Forks got down to business early against the Grand Forks Royals on Wednesday. A combined seven runs on nine hits in the first two innings secured an impressive win for Post 157, providing a highlight for the final home game of the season.
In front of Wednesday night's Stauss Park crowd, Drew Carpenter, Logan Spencer and Austin Rusling all collected three-hit games, while Rusling, Spencer and Breck Bloom each supplied a total six RBI.
"We went up to the plate ready to swing the bat," assistant coach Victor Saucedo said after the win. "It's been one of our question marks this year, but we swung the bat and gave Logan (Spencer) some runs."
Spencer finished his seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and allowed just five hits.
"He is one of the best pitchers in the conference and he showed that today. He went out and shut them out," Saucedo said.
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Action really picked up in the aforementioned second inning when Rusling led off wth a double to right-center. A single from Rylee Hams drove him home and set up another opposite-field double from Parker Erickson that scored Hams to make the game 3-0.
Some patient hitting from Carson Belbus, Levi Anderson, Spencer and Rusling tacked on four more base hits in the bottom half and brought three more runs to the plate.
"It's been our goal as a coaching staff all year to have our guys seeing it deep and trying to think right-center or left-center. Going the other way with it and not getting too pull happy," said Saucedo.
Spencer followed up the six-run second inning with a one-two-three top half to the third. Then, when EGF failed to score a run in the bottom of the third, Spencer struck out the side after conceding one of the five hits he let up.
"From pitch one he was locked in and ready," said Saucedo. "One of the best starts I've ever seen him have and one of his last here (at Stauss Park) so it is fitting."
Looking to send off the home schedule with a bang, EGF scored two runs via a Bloom single in the fourth and then pulled in its 10th run in the fifth via Carpenter on a passed ball.
Post 157 has seen a fair share of ups and downs, but sending graduating players off on a high note is as big of a win as they could ask for.
"It just depends on which team shows up. This is a team that can show up and put up 17 hits. I'm just filling in today, but it is a great feeling," said Saucedo.
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East Grand Forks Post 157 10,
Grand Forks Royals 0
GFR — 000 000 0 0 5 0
EGF — 160 210 x 10 17 0
EGF — Carpenter 3-3, Erickson 2-4 RBI, Belbus 1-4 RBI, Spencer 3-4 2 RBI, Anderson 2-3, Rusling 3-3 2 RBI, Bloom 1-3 2 RBI, Hams 2-3 RBI, Spencer (W) 7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 11 K
GF — Barta 2-3, Jahnke 1-2, Musizelaar 1-3, Colgrove 1-3, Holter (L) 2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, K
