Kopelin Gets Grand Slam in 14U Game With Webster

Milbank vs. Webster
The Milbank 14U Junior Teener baseball team split wins with Webster in their season opener on Monday, June 5, at Pribyl Park.  Milbank secured a 12-1 victory in the first game fueled by a Mack Kopelin inside-the-park Grand Slam. They fell 10-3 in the second game.Jaxson Wiese drew a lead-off walk to start the bottom of the first for Milbank. Keaton Johnson followed and was hit by a pitch. Aiden Kelly came up next and loaded the bases. Lance Engebretson then drew a bases-loaded walk to score Wiese, who put up Milbank’s first run of the year. Milbank added two more runs in the bottom of the second. Jeter Scoular singled with one out and Wiese followed him with a walk. Johnson singled to left to score Scoular and take the lead to 2-0. Kopelin dropped a single into centerfield to score Wiese.

Milbank led 3-0 going into the top of the third.Webster scored a run in the top of the third, but Milbank’s offense exploded. They scored nine runs– more than enough to invoke the Mercy Rule. Gage Newstrand and Scoular both drew walks. Wiese scored Newstrand with a single to right field. Johnson loaded the bases with an infield single.  Mason Allen kept them loaded by drawing a walk and scoring a run. Milbank led 5-1. 
Kopelin then blasted a line drive into centerfield for an inside-the-park Grand Slam. The score soared to 9-1. Kelly reached on an error. Engebretson followed with a walk. Will Muellenbach flew out to right field, but managed to score Kelly.  That increased the gap to 10-1. Abe Fischer drew another walk and Scoular scored Engebretson when he reached on an error. Milbank was ahead 11-1. Wiese sealed the deal with a single to left to score Fischer and put Webster out of their misery at 12-1.

Wiese, Johnson, and Kopelin led the way with two hits apiece. Wiese earned the win on the mound. He pitched three innings and allowed one run. He struck out six.In the second game, Johnson had a stellar pitching performance for Milbank, but Oliver Erickson produced their only hit. Milbank fell 10-3. Johnson went 3 1/3rd innings, allowed no earned runs, and struck out eight batters.

Milbank vs. Britton
Milbank’s game in Britton was rained out in the fifth on Wednesday, June 7. The score sat tied at 5-5.  Kopelin knotted things up when he whacked a double over the center fielder’s head to score Engebretson and Johnson. All of Milbank’s other runs had crossed the plate on wild pitch.

Milbank will be back in action on with a double header in Sisseton on Wednesday, June 14. Games start at 6 p.m.