Amateur Baseball: Region 16C: Hendrickson helps Midway pound Vergas 10-1 in opener

Shane Hendrickson tossed a complete game and then belted a three-run homer in the eighth as defending state champion Midway opened the Region 16C Tournament in Menahga with a 10-1 victory over Vergas on Thursday.

Hendrickson gave up only three hits and surrendered only one earned run—a solo shot to the Loons’ Marcus Zitzow in the fifth—while walking four and struck out eight in nine innings.

Midway led 3-1 when they erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning to cement the victory. The ‘Birds highlighted the frame with a pair of home runs, as Zach Etter added a solo shot, while Derek Dormanen, Mike Baso and Drew Rassmussen fueled the run support with RBI singles.

Midway scatttered 14 hits against the Vergas pitching corps with Etter and Dormanen going 3-for-4 with a double and ribbie to pace the ‘Birds.

The ‘Birds scored twice in the bottom of the second inning on RBI fielders choice base hits from Robert Weaver and Brandon Mickelson. In the fourth, Pete Marjamaa drove in another run with a single to make it 3-0.

Garrett Dahlgren was tagged with the mound loss for Vergas. He walked three and struck out seven, but was rocked for six runs (all earned) on 10 hits during seven innings of work.

Midway advances to tangle with Resorters West Champion Brandon-Evansville at 5 p.m. Saturday in Perham. The BlueDogs defeated Leech Lake 9-4, also on Thursday.

Region 16C Playoffs
Midway vs. Vergas (at Menahga) on August 4
Snurdbirds 10, Loons 1
Vergas 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0—1 3 1
Midway 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 7 x—10 14 0
WP: Shane Hendrickson (Midway) 9IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 4BB, 8K
LP: Garrett Dahlgren (Vergas) 7IP, 10H, 6R, 6ER, 3BB, 7K
Vergas—Jake Bachmann 1-4; Marcus Zitzow 1-3, R, HR, RBI; Kyle Schrupp 1-3
Midway—Drew Rassmussen 1-3, R, RBI; Hendrickson 1-5, R, HR, 3RBI; Zach Etter 3-4, R, 2B, HR, RBI; Jake Lund 1-5, R; Steve Wetterling 1-5, R, 2B; Robert Weaver 1-2, 2R, RBI; Brandon Mickelson 1-5, R, RBI; Derek Dormanen 3-4, R, 2B, RBI; Pete Marjamaa 1-3, RBI; Mike Baso 1-1, RBI

BOX SCORE & GAME SUMMARY (Courtesy of Ron Berns)