BLOOMING PRAIRIE — Anytime the New Richland/Hartland/Ellendale/Geneva Panthers, NRHEG comes to town the Blossoms know that they are in for a battle and the first contest of the 2009 baseball proved to be no exception as the Awesome Blossoms stole a late bottom of the seventh of the inning win from the Panthers by a score of 6-5.

The game was managed very well the visiting Panthers as they went into the seventh inning leading by 5-2 with the Blossoms struggling with their bats going.

But with lower part of the batting order up for BP, juniors Jeff Doerhoeffer, Ryan Noble and Justen Ingvaldson all got singles off their defender and with some great ups by the Blossoms’ senior players the boys of the Blooming Prairie were able to come away with a solid seventh inning out to beat their highway 30 rivals in their first conference win of the season.

“The Panthers are a well coached team,” head coach of the Blossoms Chris Staloch said. “And you have to do some things well to beat this team and we were fortunate to be able to eventually get it figured out.”

The Blossoms gave up a bunch of runs early to the visiting Panthers as senior pitcher Israel Clark brought it to the mound again for the Blossoms for the second time in six days.

Clark walked the first Panther batter but the next three batters yielded only outs as Clark was able to catch the runner off the bag at first for the first out of the game and the next two batters grounded out as third basemen Aaron Krejci and second basemen Jamie Willette got into the action early and made great throw to first basemen Matt Zellmer to retire NRHEG in their first up.

The second inning Clarks pitching didn’t fare as well as the first two batters hit hard line doubles to right/center as the Panthers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead.

The Blossoms were able to come back with their next up as Clark was drove in by a solo shot by junior Jamie Willette. 

BP hitting: Justen Ingvaldson 2-4, Josh Toquam 0-3 walk, Matt Zellmer 0-3 walk,  Austin Moe 1-4, Israel Clark 1-3 double, Aaron Krejci 0-3, Jamie Willette 2-3, Jeffery Doerhoeffer 2-3 walk, Chris Shaeffer 0-1 walk, Ryan Noble 1-2,