Bernhardt sparks Spuds

It had been almost two weeks since Moorhead played a baseball game.

Jake Bernhardt wanted to make up for lost time.

The junior nailed the second pitch he saw for a grand slam to key a six-run first inning as Moorhead defeated Perham 11-2 at Horizon Middle School on Monday.

"It was the same pitch as the first one, and I'm sure he threw it again because I swung and missed the first one," Bernhardt said. "It was a fastball right in the meat box."

Moorhead had only three hits in the big opening frame, but the Spuds were helped by three walks and a Perham error.

Two runs had already crossed the plate in the inning when Bernhardt stepped in.

"We tell them to come out and be aggressive and get quality at-bats," Moorhead coach Greg Salvevold said. "The whole team was going out there and getting hits."

The aggressive hitting didn't stop after the first inning.

After sending 10 batters to the plate in the opening frame, the Spuds had eight batters hit in the second - getting three more runs on five hits.

Bernhardt knocked in one of those three runs, too, and finished the game 2-for-3 with five RBIs.

"I think we've got a pretty good hitting team," Bernhardt said. "It's been really frustrating with the weather. We go outside and hit, and then the day of the game rolls around, and it rains or snows.

"At least everybody's still swinging the bats well."

Seven different Spuds got hits in the game. Tyler Schlotfeldt, Braden Rahman and Bernhardt all had two hits apiece.

The pitchers were also sharp. Scott Petry struck out six in the first three innings, and Paul Roers had five strikeouts in two innings of work.

Both of Perham's runs came in the fourth inning, but Charlie Erickson was able to escape the big inning by inducing a bases-loaded double play.

"Petry's been outstanding all year," Salvevold said. "I really have no problem using a bunch of different people because I have 12 people that can throw strikes."

Moorhead's next game is Wednesday when the Spuds host St. Cloud Tech in a make-up game from May 2. The game is slated to start at 3:30 p.m. at Horizon Middle School.

Perham 000 200 0- 2 6 3

Moorhead 631 010 x-11 11 3

Miller, Omberg (2) and Schmitz. Petry, Erickson (4), Roers (6) and Schlotfeldt. W-Erickson. L-Miller. HR-Bernhardt.

Readers can reach Forum sports writer Kerry Collins at (701) 241-5548.

Collins' prep sports blog can be found at www.areavoices.com