Milroy held to just 2 hits in 8-1 loss to Leavenworth in 2C playoffs
The Yankees may have come into playoffs with hot bats and on-target pitching, but Friday night they saw their season come to an end when quiet bats and walks were the stars of the game.
The Yankees faced Leavenworth in the Region 2C playoff game for the right to go to state, but it wasn’t their night as they watched their season come to an end with an 8-1 loss.
The Orioles showed patience at the plate right away. In the first inning, they were able to draw four walks off Yankees’ starter Parker Schmitt and take a 1-0 lead.
Mark Anderson started on the mound for Leavenworth and had the Yankees’ number from the start, striking out the side to start the game on his way to pitching seven innings, giving up no hits while striking out 12. Milroy manager Aaron Mathiowetz knew they would be facing tough pitching against Anderson.
“Credit to them and their good pitcher,” Mathiowetz said. “I don’t know if it’s playing in Sleepy Eye versus Springfield, a different atmosphere. I thought we had a lot of good at bats but we just couldn’t piece anything together. We really felt off — hits are really contagious for us.”
After a tough first inning, the Schmitt faced three batters in the second after Leavenworth led off with a single. Schmitt struck out the next batter before getting Austin Uecker to hit into a double play to end any threat.
The Yankees were only able to send four batters to the plate in the bottom of the second.
Leavenworth threatened again in the third after a one-out walk, but an on target throw by Alex Schuh cut down their runner as he tried to steal second. A Milroy error and hit to short right center put two runners on, and a wild pitch allowed the Orioles the second run of the game. Quick defense caught the Orioles’ second runner in a hot box for the third out.
After a quick bottom of the third, Leavenworth broke the game open in the top of the fourth. A hit-bypitch and walk called for a pitching change for the Yankees, as Austin Deutz entered the fourth with one out and two runners on. An infield single followed by two walks and a double to deep left center scored four more for the Orioles, and they weren’t done. A liner to short left and a sacrifice fly to center plated two more runs before the Yankees were able to shut the door on the inning, making it 8-0.
The Yankees had fought against big innings like that early in the season, something Mathiowetz was hoping wouldn’t come back in the payoffs.
“I thought a lot of guys had good at bats, it really just comes down to that one inning,” he said. “We thought we put that behind us in June when that seemed to happen in most games, but it came back to bite us in the end.”
The Yankees brought in veteran Nathan Deutz to start the fifth inning and he sent the Orioles down in order in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
The Orioles lifted their starter in the bottom of the eighth in exchange for Jackson Huiras. The change showed promise for the Yankees. After both Eli Weedman and Jackson Hughes started the inning with walks, Branden Flock singled for the first hit for the Yankees, loading the bases. Schuh had an infield single that scored Weedman for the only run for the Yankees. That’s the most the Yankees could muster, however, as two strikeouts ended their threat.
The Orioles had another runner get as far as third in the top of the ninth before Nathan Deutz ended their half of the inning. The Yankees were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth, ending their 2025 season.
With only two errors, Mathiowetz knew the defense played well, but the walks haunted the Yankees. However, he was proud of how all three pitchers dug in to give the Yankees a chance.
“Parker did a good job and fought through it,” Mathiowetz said. “Parker is a warrior for us and is always going to fight for us no matter how the game is going. Austin pitching to guys and getting us out of that inning and then Nathan pitching those last five innings and just shutting them down. That was good to see.”
Leavenworth 101 600 000 — 8 7 2 Yankees 000 000 010 — 1 2 2 P. Schmitt (L), A. Deutz (4), N. Deutz (5) and Schuh.
