NEW ULM — Step 2 is complete for the Mankato East baseball team.
The Cougars opened the season with three main goals, to win the Big Nine Conference championship, to win the Section 2AAA title and to win the Class AAA state championship.
East won the Big Nine last month and then captured the Section 2AAA title Thursday with a 6-3 victory over Mankato West at Johnson Park. It marked the fourth time in as many tries that the Cougars defeated West this season. Scarlets’ coach Marshall Miller conceded after Thursday’s game that East had his team’s number this year.
“(East) is a very good team,” he said. “They pitch well, they hit the ball well, they play good defense. You have to give them the credit, they earned it.
“Against us, they were particularly successful at getting two-out hits. That’s how they scored most of their runs against us in this tournament.”
That was certainly the pattern Thursday, as East put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the first. Zach Bosse walked, Caden Hansen singled, Caeden Willaert cracked an RBI single down the right-field line and Nate Bridger added a two-run double to deep center.
The flurry gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead after one inning and they stayed on top the rest of the way. East added a solo run in the second on Tyler Rundle’s RBI single. The Cougars then posted two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on Owen Studtmann’s RBI triple to the fence in right-center and on an errant pickoff throw to first by West.
Bridger went the distance for the win, giving up three earned runs on six hits, walking one, hitting two batters and striking out three. He also helped himself by going 2 for 2 at the plate with a double, a single, a walk, two RBIs and a run scored.
“It’s nice to help yourself when you’re pitching but it’s nice to help the team, too,” Bridger said. “The team’s bats are starting to come around.
“As a pitcher I was just mixing things up trying to keep them off balance. I threw a fastball, a changeup, a curve and a slider. I had pretty good command with all of them.”
East coach Micah Degner said Bridger is one of the team’s most improved players with the bat this season. “Early in the year we were DHing for him because he wasn’t hitting well. But these last three weeks, he’s really come on at the plate. That makes things a lot easier as a coach.”
Jayden Knutson led West’s attack Thursday with a single, a double, an RBI and a run scored. Evan Maes added a sac fly.
With steps 1 and 2 accomplished, all that’s left for East is step 3. The Cougars qualified for state last year and won the consolation championship. This year they want to go all the way.
“We want to do better, there’s no doubt,” Bridger said.
Coach Degner agreed: “I think if you ask the players, they’ll all tell you we have some unfinished business at state.”
The Class AAA state tournament begins Wednesday for East at the Mini Met in Jordan. Seeds and times are to be announced.