OTC to travel to Breckenridge Thursday in regular season finale

Photos by Chad Koenen
Gavin Pausch picked up the win on the mound on Thursday as he went all 8 innings and struck out 3 hitters.

Otter Tail Central fell behind early and couldn’t come back in an 18-0 loss to Menahga on Tuesday. 

Menahga scored on a single by Nolan Haataja, a double by Ivan Anderson, a double by Quincy Jantz, and a single by Isaiah Usher in the first inning.

The Braves fired up the offense in the first inning, when Haataja singled on a 0-2 count, scoring one run.

Lane Dilly connects with a pitch during Thursday’s game against Barnesville.

Usher got the win for Menahga as he pitched a perfect game. He went all 5 innings, while giving up no runs, hits or walks. He also struck out 6 hitters.  

Kale Misegades took the loss for OTC as he went 2 innings, allowed 9 runs on 12 hits, struck out 1 hitter and walked 1 batter.

Menahga scattered 21 hits in the game. Anderson, Brayden Aho, Haataja, Aaron Pietila, Usher, Jantz, and Ethan Hendrickson all managed multiple hits for Menahga. Menahga didn’t commit a single error in the field. Jantz had the most chances in the field with six.

Thursday

Lane Dilly hit a walk off double in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 win over Barnesville on Thursday.  The game was tied at 1-1 with OTC batting in the bottom of the eighth inning when Dilly doubled on a 3-1 count, scoring one run.

The pitching was strong on both sides. Gavin Pausch struck out three, while Jay Tschumperlin sat down three.

OTC tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning when Garrett Nelson hit a solo home run.

Pausch was the winning pitcher for OTC as he went 8 innings, allowed 7 hits and 1 run while striking out 3. So far this season Pausch has pitched 39 innings, while giving up just 3 earned runs for an ERA of .538. 

“We started off a little slow but Barnesville made a few really nice defensive plays to keep us at bay too.  Barnesville made a nice sliding catch in left field to take a double away and also turned two double plays to change the game. Ultimately Pausch threw another great game for us, Nelly hit an absolute bomb to tie the game in the seventh and Pausch and Dilly got it done in the eighth.”

Ryan Hendrickson, head coach

Hunter Haugen, Soren Floden, Pausch, Dilly, Nelson, and Jayden Harig all had one hit to lead OTC.

Friday

OTC fell behind early and couldn’t come back in a 12-0 loss to Wadena-Deer Creek on Friday. Wadena-Deer Creek scored on a double by Josh Dykhoff, a single by Payton Rondestvedt, a double by Connor Davis and a single by Evan Lunde in the first inning.

A single by Hunter Haugen in the fifth inning was a positive for the Bulldogs.

Rondestvedt earned the win for Wadena-Deer Creek as he allowed just 1 hit and no runs over 5 innings. He also struck out 8 hitters. Peyton Church threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Lane Dilly took the loss for OTC as he pitched just 1 inning, allowing 7 hits and 5 runs while striking out 1 and walking 1.

Haugen and Kale Misegades all had one hit to lead OTC.

The loss drops the Bulldogs to 7-9 on the season. OTC is currently in sixth place in the Park Region Conference with a record of 4-9. They are also in sixth place in the Section 8AA south sub section with a QRF of 104. The Bulldogs will wrap up their regular season this week, before beginning the sub section tournament next week.