Babe Ruth center fielder Brent Sterricker (left photo) at the plate in the game against W-DC. At right, Kyle Quast at the plate against Storm. The Babe Ruth team won three games last week to qualify for the District Babe Ruth tournament this week at Perham. (Staples World photos by Kelley Kossan) The Staples Motley Babe Ruth (13 to 15 years old) team last week won three games in their league playoffs and will be playing (starting Wednesday) in this week’s District Babe Ruth playoffs.

The young team, coached by Joe Roline and Shawn Motl, won their first game 14-3 in five innings over Wadena-Deer Creek, then came from behind to down the Park Rapids Storm 12-4 in six innings.

SM in their third game defeated Park Rapids 11-1 in five innings

In their first game on July 20, Jordan Jenkins pitched five innings, giving up three runs and getting five strikeouts. W-DC got three runs on five hits and Staples Motley had 14 runs on six hits.

Jalen Busker had a huge two RBI single in the first inning that made the score 5 to 0. Seth Auger also had a clutch two RBI double in the fourth.

Playing July 22 against the Storm, Austin Redemske pitched six innings, getting ten strikeouts and walking five. He allowed three hits.

Coach Roline noted, “It started raining in Park Rapids about a hour before our game was scheduled to start and continued off and on until the game was called due to darkness at 9:15.

“We scored first in the bottom of the first when Jordan Jenkins drove in Mark Kossan.

“After three innings we were down 4-2. By this time the home plate area was a pile of mud.

“Our bats came alive in the fifth inning. Tyler Holub broke the tie with a sharp RBI single up the middle.

“We ended up scoring nine in the fifth and went on to win 12-4.” SM had eight hits.

In the finals on Friday, Busker pitched, striking out five batters and allowing just three hits in five innings. SM meanwhile had nine hits.

“Park Rapids scored one run in the top of the first inning, but from then on it was all Staples Motley, Roline said. “We scored three in the first, two in the second, one in the third, three in the fourth and two in the fifth.”

Jordan Denning led the team at the plate with three singles.

The Babe Ruth District Tournament began with an 11 a.m. game Wednesday at New York Mills against Baxter.

Baseball results

SM vs. Wadena-DC, SM 14, W-DC 3 SM 14 R, 6 H WP Jordan Jenkins

SM vs. PR Storm SM 12, PR 4 SM 12 R, 8 H PR 4 R, 3 H WP: Austin Redemske SM vs. Park Rapids SM 11, PR 1 SM 11 R, 9 H PR 1 R, 3 H WP Jalen Busker