Adrian baseball coach Kevin Nowotny congratulates Brandon Wolf after the Dragon center fielder drilled a three-run homer during Tuesday’s home game against Southwest United. Wolf’s blast accounted for Adrian’s first three runs of an 8-0 victory that clinched the team’s second-straight Red Rock Conference championship.By John RittenhouseA rally in the final week of the regular season gave the Adrian baseball team its second consecutive Red Rock Conference championship.The Dragons posted a seven-run win over Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin in Mountain Lake Thursday to tie the Wolverines for first place. AHS then beat Southwest United by eight runs in Adrian Tuesday, which was proceeded by a ML-B-O loss to Murray County Central Monday.Adrian also lost a four-run non-conference decision in Pipestone Friday.The 14-5 Dragons will play MCC or Lakeview to open the Section 3A Tournament at 2 p.m. Saturday in Adrian.Adrian 8, SWU 0The Dragons clinched the RRC title with Tuesday’s eight-run home win over the Quasars.David Hoffer pitched a four-hit shutout for seven innings to set the stage for victory defensively. Five Dragon batters slapped two hits each to pace AHS offensively.The teams battled to a scoreless draw through two and one-half innings before Adrian broke through with a four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth.Brandon Wolf supplied the key blow with a three-run homer to center field. Tyler Wolf added an RBI single as the inning progressed.Tyler Wolf picked up his second RBI of the game with a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fifth. A second run scored on a throwing error by SWU.Joe Kruger singled home a run and Levi Bullerman walked and scored on a passed ball when AHS capped the scoring in the sixth inning.Brandon and Tyler Wolf, Kruger, Bullerman and Pete Hohn had two hits each for the winners.Pipestone 4, Adrian 0A three-game winning streak came to an end for the Dragons when they lost a four-run decision in Pipestone Friday.Arrow pitcher Tom Stotz controlled the game for the hosts. Stotz blanked the Dragons for seven innings, limiting AHS to one hit.Matt Eickhoff notched an infield single to account for Adrian’s safety.Pipestone scored one run in the third inning and three in the fourth against Adrian starting pitcher Tyler Wolf, who took the loss. Brandon Wolf blanked the Arrows in their final two frames.Adrian 10, ML-B-O 3The Dragons moved into a first-place tie with ML-B-O when they rolled to a seven-run win over the Wolverines in Mountain Lake Thursday.ML-B-O sported a one-game edge over AHS in the RRC standings heading into the game, but the Dragons pulled even with the Wolverines by day’s end.The score was tied at two after two innings of play. Adrian, however, dominated the final five frames by outscoring the hosts 7-1.Pete Hohn, who drove in three runs in the game, chased home a counter with a fielder’s choice in the top of the third to give Adrian the lead for keeps. Joe Kruger produced a sacrifice fly and Brandon Diekmann singled home another run before the third inning was complete, giving the Dragons a 5-2 advantage.Hohn hit a solo homer to highlight a two-run fourth inning, but the Wolverines countered with a run in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 7-3 game.Hohn recorded a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning and Diekmann capped a three-RBI effort with a two-run single in the seventh to pad the lead for AHS.David Hoffer pitched the first four innings to pick up the win for AHS. He allowed three runs, three walks and five hits while recording three strikeouts.Hohn pitched the three scoreless innings in relief of Hoffer. He fanned four batters while walking four and allowing two hits.
