Park Center Pirates Scuttle SLP Orioles

Ryan Stachowski stacked the deck as he drove in three runs and Park Center took advantage of four St. Louis Park errors that led the Pirates to a 6-2 win over the Orioles Friday night at Derrick Keller Field at Dakota Park.

In the early days of the Metrodome, the old scoreboard would sometimes say "Walks will haunt!" and they would haunt the Orioles in the first inning when starting pitcher Johnny Sorenson walked four of the first five batters.  After Sorenson walked the first three, Keller Tollefson hit into a fielder's choice to score Brenton Brakke.  Stachowski would put the Pirates ahead by three with a two RBI single that scored Tanner Stein and Mitch Maier.

Both teams would tally in the third inning.  Park Center got their run when Maier led off with a single then scored on Stachowski's single that gave him three RBI's that night.  St. Louis Park would strike twice.  It started with singles from Jacob Stillman, Connor Cornell and Sorenson.  Sorenson would beat out a bunt to reach base.  Then came a two RBI single by Riley Dvorak that scored Stillman and Cornell.  They would have a chance to cut into the Pirate lead but Brent Ryan would hit into a 5-5-2 double play and jack elias was called out for runner's interference.

St. Louis Park's defense came apart in the top of the fourth with three errors.  Noah Thompson reached base for Park Center on an error by Stillman and Brakke would draw his second walk. Stein would reach base on two throwing errors that scored Thompson and Brakke.  The good news for the Orioles was that sorenson would end the inning by retiring the last two batters on called third strikes.

The Orioles would have only three base runners the remainder of the game.  Cornell would single in the bottom of the fourth, Zach Listiak doubled in the bottom of the sixth and a leadoff single in the bottom of seventh by Stillman.  But clutch Pirate pitching from Stein and reliever Matt Sporre prevented St. Louis Park's chance at a comeback.

Both the Pirates and the Orioles return to action on Monday, April 10.  The Pirates began their season with a record of 1-0 and host the Andover Huskies at 4:30 PM.  The Orioles fell to 0-2 and host the Edina Hornets at 6 PM at Derrick Keller Field.