Tea Steam suffers 4-0 loss to Renner

The Tea Steam were unable to solve Renner pitching on Monday, July 6, falling 4-0 to the Renner Monarchs in amateur baseball action.

Renner struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing on an error to take a 1-0 lead.

The Monarchs added two more runs in the third inning to extended its advantage to 3-0.

Renner added an insurance run in the seventh, making it 4-0.

Tea had opportunities but couldn’t come up with the timely hit. Dawson Portner led off the offense with a first-inning double and later added a single, finishing 2-for-4. Nathan Babb, Cameron Jensen, Billy Mote, Michael Buchmann, and Henry Hammrich each added one hit. 

The Steam loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning after Matthew Hanson walked and singles by Mote and Buchmann, but Renner starter Jeremiah Mauch escaped the jam by recording a strikeout and a pop out to preserve the shutout.

Mauch earned the complete-game victory for Renner, scattering eight hits over nine scoreless innings while striking out 11 and walking one.

Jensen took the loss for Tea, pitching six innings while allowing three runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits. He struck out seven batters. Cole McKinney pitched the final three innings in relief, allowing one run while striking out six. 

Tea finished with eight hits but stranded several runners, including leaving the bases loaded in the seventh, as Renner’s pitching and defense combined for the shutout victory.

The Steam will host the Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels on Sunday, July 12 in a 5 p.m. match-up. They will be home again on Tuesday, July 14 taking on the Garretson BlueJays at 7 p.m.