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  • The Mankato Mets' Adam Geiger (17) is called out on this play at second base as Cubs shortstop J.J. Cattrysse dropped the ball trying to throw to first. John Cross

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July 19, 2011

Kato Mets defeat Kato Cubs

Mets win 13-5

By Jim Rueda Free Press Sports Editor

MANKATO — It was supposed to be a tune-up before the amateur baseball playoffs begin and the Mankato Mets emerged firing on all engines. Their opponents, the Kato Cubs, sort of sputtered to the finish line.

The Mets took advantage of six Cubs errors and combined them with 15 hits to earn a 13-5 victory Tuesday at Franklin Rogers Park. The Mets also received strong pitching efforts from starter Derek Quame and reliever Alex Smith.

“It was one of those games where you wanted to get a win but you wanted to try to play a lot of people, too,” Mets coach Josh Anderson said afterward. “We got everybody in tonight. It was especially nice to get the young guys in because they played with and against a lot of the players on (the Cubs).”

Tuesday’s game was close until the fifth when the Mets turned a one-run lead into a 9-3 advantage. A double by Mitch Kleist, singles by Jimmy Kiefer, Todd Rasmussen and Ben Smith, an infield throwing error and a walk to Jake Krier led the rally.

 The Cubs answered with one run in the bottom half of the inning but had to play catch up the rest of the way. They proved to be their own worst enemy at times, making numerous throwing errors to keep Mets rallies alive.

In the sixth, the Cubs turned a double by Kleist into a Little League home run as he took third and home and consecutive throwing errors.

“We were definitely sloppy on defense tonight,” Cubs manager Troy Birhanzl said. “We got behind and we just made some mistakes. It seemed like we were a little flat tonight.”

Adam Geiger led the Mets with a hit-and-run single in the first, a double in the second, a walk in the sixth and a base hit in the eighth. He also reached on an error and finished with four RBIs.

Ben Smith finished with four hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Kleist doubled twice and scored twice and Rasmussen went 2 for 2 with three walks and three runs scored.

Quame pitched the first five innings for the win, giving up three earned runs on five hits, striking out three and walking four. Alex Smith pitched four innings of one-run relief, allowing just three hits.

The Cubs used three pitchers. Starter Luke Weber took the loss working the first five innings. Zach Woodside pitched the sixth and Taylor Ries threw the final three frames.

Ries and David Gullixson had two hits apiece to lead the Cubs’ attack.

The Cubs (12-4) begin the 13-60 League Blue playoffs on Saturday with a 2 p.m. game against the Lake Crystal Nine at Wolverton Field. The Mets (15-7) open the Southern Minny League C playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Sunday against the Austin Blue Sox at Wolverton.

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