The game ended after five innings due to the 10-run rule.

“The boys came with a great approach today,” Madelia head coach Jimmy Kiefer said. “St. Mary’s is an awesome team. Anything can happen in March, I promise you, we play this game at the end of the year, it’s going to be a very tight game. This is a well-coached team, it was just in our favor today. That’s how baseball goes.”

The Blackhawks scored at least one run in every inning, including a seven-run bottom of the fourth to help seal an early end to the game.

“It’s a fun group,” Kiefer said. “Seems like they’ve been learning the game well. Seems like we’ve been with them for a handful of years. A lot of them have been playing since freshman year, some of them since their eighth-grade year, and they’re all growing up right now. It’s a little bittersweet because they’re old now, and eventually we’ll be shipping them off, but they just bring a lot of maturity to the game and it’s fun to watch.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Madelia’s Tony Zaleski celebrates after hitting a double during a nonconference prep baseball game against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Tuesday at Searles Ballpark.

Zach Jacobs was the winning pitcher for Madelia, going all five innings and striking out seven.

“I’ve got to give credit to our defense,” Jacobs said. “My catcher [Miah Garza] was amazing today. Defense was great all around, and it’s a good feeling. It keeps me going when I’ve got trust in my team. Just doing my thing, and they can do there.

Jacobs allowed just one hit and one walk, both to St. Marys’ Tyler Mathiowetz, as the Madelia defense played errorless baseball.

“We definitely brought the energy today,” Jacobs said. “Calm and collected too, we weren’t over the top. Just a chill feeling.”

At the plate for Madelia, Tony Zaleski and Tate Becker both had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI, while Noel Davila had a hit and three RBIs. Dalton Tatro and Brayden Grev both had a hit and two runs scored.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Adam Braulick throws to first during a nonconference prep baseball game against Madelia Tuesday at Searles Ballpark.

Merrick Mathiowetz took the loss for St. Mary’s, striking out seven while allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits in three innings of work.

St. Marys’ lone hit came in the first inning as Tyler Mathiowetz hit a double, but he was picked off on the bases attempting to steal third. Madelia got the scoring going as Jacobs bunted into a single and an RBI, with Zaleski coming home on the play. Becker picked up an RBI and a 2-0 lead with a double to center right field. Jacobs struck out the side as Madelia kept up the scoring in the second. with Davila putting up a double of his own and scoring Tatro and Grev for a 4-0 lead.

Madelia had its lone one-run inning in the third as an error put into play by Garza brought home Becker, but Madelia scored a pair of runs in the fourth, with a Davila groundout plating Grev and an error put into play by Jacobs bringing home Zaleski for a 7-0 lead. Madelia added five more runs on a walk, three hit batsmen and an error, for a 12-0 lead, and Jacobs and the Madelia defense quickly retired the side in the top of the fifth to close out the victory.

Madelia (3-0) plays at Cleveland on Monday. St. Mary’s (0-2) hosts Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop on Monday.