Volga’s Parker Puetz homered three times as the Cormorants belted six bombs in winning a slug fest over Clark, 18-17, on Friday night at Dakota Style Field at Dickinson Park in Clark.
Parker Puetz’s third home run of the game, a grand slam in the ninth-inning, brought Volga back from a five-run deficit to force extra innings.
The Cormorants got on the board in the first inning on Parker Puetz’s run-scoring single that brought home Noah Puetz.
Both teams traded zeros until the third when Zach Puetz homered to score Austin Buysee in front of him, then Parker Puetz made it back-to-back home runs and take a 4-0 lead. Three batters later Chase Ringheimer also homered, scoring Nate Gonnelly, as the ‘Rants took a 6-0 lead to the bottom of the third.
The Traders answered with four runs on one swing of the bat as Rhett Florey’s grand slam cut the Volga lead to 6-4, and would make it 6-5 in the fifth on an RBI single from Wesley Jones that scored Ringheimer.
Noah Puetz led off the sixth with a solo homer, and after Buysee walked, Zach Puetz’s double scored Buysee and Parker Puetz’s single scored Zach Puetz to make it 9-5. The lead would grow to 10-5 when Parker Puetz scampered home on an error.
Clark scored twice in the sixth to cut the lead back to 10-7, but Volga again added a run on Noah Puetz’ sac fly to take an 11-7 lead as the seventh-inning stretch began.
A seven-run seventh inning gave the Traders a 14-11 lead as Clark scored all seven runs with two outs, including three bases loaded walks.
Parker Puetz’s second homer brought Volga back to within two at 14-12 but Clark answered with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to open a 17-12 lead.
Noah Puetz reached on a one-out error in the ninth inning and would eventually score on a Buysee single. Tyson Sonnenburg doubled and Zach Puetz walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Parker Puetz’s game-tying grand slam as the game eventually went to extras tied at 17.
Noah Puetz again reached with one out in the tenth inning, this time around with a double. Buysee singled to move Noah Puetz to third and he would score on Sonnenburg’s sac fly to give the Cormorants the 18-17 lead.
Clark’s Brent Griffith led off the bottom of the tenth with a single and after Rhett Florey was intentionally walked with one out, Griffith was thrown out trying to steal third before Jones’ ground out ended the game.
The Cormorants pounded out 21 hits.
Parker Puetz finished with five hits in six at-bats, driving in eight runs.
Buysee had four hits while Noah Puetz, Sonnenburg, Zach Puetz, Gonnelly, and Ringheimer all had two each.
Rhett Florey had three hits, two doubles and a home run, and six runs batted in to lead Clark while Grayson Florey also had three hits, scored four runs, and had two RBI.
Tyler Brinka took the loss for the Traders as he allowed one earned run on two hits in one and two-third innings.
Jones threw 143 pitches and logged the first six innings for Clark and gave up 10 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits, walking four batters while striking out eight.
Jay Huber tossed two and a third innings for the Traders and allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits.
Trevor Olson started for Volga but did not factor in the decision. He allowed four runs (all unearned) on four hits, walking three and striking out two.
Cole Gross allowed nine runs (eight earned) in four innings of work, giving up six hits, walking four, and striking out three.
Gonnelly walked three and gave up a hit and one earned run while not recording an out, being pulled for Layne Lucas who picked up four outs while giving up three runs (one earned) on two hits with a walk and strikeout.
Noah Puetz was credited with the win for the Cormorants. He walked two and gave up a hit but pitched two scoreless innings.
Volga (7-2) returns to action tomorrow as they host the Castlewood Monarchs in an Eastern Dakota League match up at 8 p.m. at Hoff Field in Volga.
