Milbank Junior Teeners Walk-Off Britton

The Milbank 14U Junior Teeners hosted Britton in a doubleheader at Pribyl Park on Tuesday night, June 27. The locals swept Britton. Milbank won the first game 9-8 and the second game 8-6.

Britton scored a run in the top of the first, but Milbank answered with one of their own. Jaxson Wiese led off with a single to right field. Wiese stole second and third and then advanced home on an error by Britton’s third baseman. The score was knotted at 1-1. In the second inning, Milbank gave up four runs and found themselves trailing 5-1 until the bottom of the third. In the third, Tyler Heinje drew a one-out walk and scored when Mack Koplin, Lance Engebretson, and Aiden Kelly all drew walks to bring him home. Milbank cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the fifth. Koplin led off with a triple. Will Muellenbach helped him home when he reached on an error. Milbank surged ahead  6-3.

Engebretson singled to right to put runners on first and third with no outs. When Kelly came up again,  he doubled to score Muellenbach and Engebretson. It became a one-run game at 6-5.Milbank gave up two runs in the top of the seventh and trailed 8-5 heading into the last frame.

Engebretson led off with a single. He took a chance and stole second. Mason Allen singled to center to score Engebretson. The scoreboard blinked 8-6. Jeter Scoular drew a walk. Wiese singled to put runners on first and second, but Allen was tagged out on another steal attempt. Keaton Johnson tripled to center to tie things up at  8-8. Heinje slapped a double to center. His hit clinched the victory for Milbank as they walked off Britton 9-8.

Wiese, Heinje, and Engebretson all recorded two hits for Milbank. Scoular pitched five innings. He allowed no earned runs and struck out two.

In game two, Milbank scored their first run in the bottom of the second. Allen drew a walk and proceeded to steal second and third. Engebretson grounded out, but managed to score Allen from third. The score was tied 1-1. Milbank put together a big inning to go ahead in the third. Wiese hit a one-out single to get things started. Johnson drew a walk and stole second to put runners on second and third. Heinje singled to left to score Wiese to tie the game again at two. Sam Shelstad drew a walk. Allen singled to right to load the bags. Engebretson singled to right to clear the bases when Britton committed multiple errors. Milbank pulled ahead 6-2.

The Junior Teeners added a duo of insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth to give them some breathing room in the fifth. Abe Fischer led off with a walk. Johnson singled to left to score Fischer and add another click to Milbank’s lead at 7-4. Heinje doubled to center to put runners at second and third with one out. Shelstad loaded the bases and Allen drew a walk to send Johnson home and the score to 8-4. Britton scored two runs in the top of the fifth, but it was too little-too-late. Milbank won the game 8-6 and swept the visitors.  

Heinje nailed two hits and one RBI to pave the way for Milbank’s offense. Johnson pitched all five innings. He allowed only four earned runs and struck out four batters.