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June 24, 2009

Mankato Twins pick up needed win

Kaus helps Twins get past Rochester Blues

By Chad Courrier

MANKATO — Ben Kaus entered in the seventh inning of a tied game, with the bases loaded, and he threw three straight balls.

“I knew I just had to throw one right down the middle,” Kaus said. “I came in from the outfield, and I only took about five warmups. I think I finally got warmed up after I threw those three straight bad ones. Once I found my release point, I didn’t have to think about it.”

Kaus and Joe Kern provided seven innings of one-run relief, and the Mankato Twins scored a run in the bottom of the ninth when Zach Danelson was hit by a pitch to defeat the Rochester Blues 5-4 in an amateur baseball game Wednesday at Franklin Rogers Park. The Twins also defeated New Ulm by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth in last week.

The Twins were blanked 3-0 by Austin on Monday, so the Twins were facing the possibility of a rare two-game losing streak.

“We wanted to hit the ball better tonight, and I thought we did,” manager Jay Nessler said. “We hit some good ones, and we didn’t get much out of it. But we stuck with it and pulled one out.”

The Blues scored two runs in the first inning, but the Twins got one back in the bottom of the inning on Nessler’s single. Rochester added a run in the second, but the Twins tied the game on their next at-bat on Kaus’ RBI single and an error.

Twins starter Ryan Greene pitched only two innings before Joe Kern came in to relieve. Kern, who threw two scoreless innings on Monday, blanked Rochester for the next four innings. However, in the seventh, a couple of infield errors and a walk loaded the bases with no outs.

Kaus came in from center field and threw three straight balls, but he gathered himself and struck out three straight to keep the game tied at 3.

“Greene felt all right, but we didn’t want to risk anything this early in the season,” Nessler said. “Kern did a great job, he kept them where we needed to. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Ben is the guy we want in there.”

Kaus also struck out the first three batters in the eighth, and the Twins got the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eight on Nessler’s RBI single. In the top of the ninth, Kaus gave up a leadoff double, and Rochester tied the game with a bases-loaded groundout.

“I haven’t pitched three innings in forever,” Kaus said. “But I knew I had to do it. That leadoff hitter put a nice swing on it, so I had to just keep them from scoring another one.”

In the bottom of the ninth, Aaron Berner drew a one-out walk, and Chase Jones beat out an infield hit. After a wild pitch moved up both runners, Kaus, who had three singles, was intentionally walked. Danelson took one ball before getting clipped by the next pitch.

“This was huge,” Kaus said. “(Monday), we were down all game, and we got behind tonight. We finally came back, but after they tied it, we were down a little. This one is a confidence-builder, and hopefully, this will help us turn the corner and be the game that gets us going.”

The Twins (6-2) play again at 2 p.m. Sunday at Rochester against the Royals.

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