That spark started in the bottom of the fifth inning as GFW put up four runs, then grew into an inferno as the Firebirds scored 11 runs in the bottom of the sixth to help secure a 15-9 win.

“Had some real quality at-bats,” GFW head coach Kelly Krzmarzick. “Took advantage of a couple of miscues, heads up base running — we were resilient today. Understand that it’s a seven-inning ballgame, a lot of things can happen. Very pleased with how Koufax Rose came in, threw strikes, challenged hitters, pitched to contact — this was a big win today.”

Rose earned the win in relief on the mound, striking out six and allowing three unearned runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Rose also came up with the game-tying hit, connecting on a two-RBI single to make it an 8-8 game.

“It’s a huge moment,” Rose said. “Last night I did not have a great day at the plate, today I fixed it up, got a two-RBI single, did great on the mound. It was amazing.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop’s Kellen Nachreiner celebrates after a hit during a nonconference baseball game against Minnesota Valley Lutheran Friday at Memorial Field in Fairfax.

Rose said the team needed to regroup after a less-than-ideal start to the game.

“We just had to focus mentally,” he said. “We had a rough start. That injury, Owen [Swenson] came back, did a great job. That big sixth inning, putting up [11] runs, that was really big for us. Got to throw strikes, make plays.”

Also for GFW, Swenson was 3 for 5 with three runs scored despite briefly exiting the game after a collision, while Luke Bastian was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Isaac Beckendorf was 2 for 5 with three RBIs.

Rogan Scriver took the loss for MVL, striking out two and allowing 11 runs, five earned, on four hits in 2/3 of an inning. Kurt Trahms pitched four innings, allowing no runs on three hits with four strikeouts. At the plate for the Charges, Grayson Bode, Ethan Schauland and Scriver each had two hits and a run scored, while Connor Bode had a hit, three runs scored and three stolen bases. Connor Bode recently broke the MVL career steals record and continues to add to his total.

The Chargers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to an Aiden Weisensel single that scored Kyan Kube and Connor Bode. MVL continued the scoring with Aiden Eckberg driving in two runs on a single, Kube adding an RBI on a double and Connor Bode scoring on a wild pitch for a 6-0 advantage. Rose entered the game and ended the inning with a strikeout, but the Firebirds were unable to muster any runs in the bottom of the inning.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop’s Koufax Rose delivers a pitch during a nonconference baseball game against Minnesota Valley Lutheran Friday at Memorial Field in Fairfax.

The third and fourth inning also passed without any runners reaching home as the GFW defense stabilized, but the offense couldn’t get much going either. Finally, in the bottom of the fifth, Owen Swenson was able to get the first Firebirds run of the game on a wild pitch. Bastian singled in the same at-bat to bring home Kaden Rieke to cut the lead to 6-2, then Beckendorf made it a 6-4 game with a two-RBI single before the end of the inning.

MVL got its own offense going in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of two GFW errors and RBIs from Kube and Blake Sexton for a 8-4 lead. However, GFW loaded up the bases with no outs and capitalized with Bastian putting an error into play to bring home Kellen Nachreiner, then Swenson scored on a wild pitch. Rose tied the game on a line-drive, then Caleb Hacker scored on a fielder’s choice, diving home to avoid the tag. Rose scored on a wild pitch for a 10-8 lead, then Beckendorf scored on another wild pitch. Nachreiner and Swenson each added a single, and the Firebirds scored four more runs on an error, two walks and a hit by pitch for a 15-8 lead.

“Our midset the entire spring has been, ‘Win each inning,'”, Krzmarzick said. “If you win the majority of the innings, you’re going to have success, and that’s what happened. Even after a rough start, we won a whole bunch of innings. One big inning, 11 runs, a whole bunch of hits, took advantage of certain situations. Very proud of this group.”

Grayson Bode managed to score on an error in the top of the seventh, but MVL was unable to put up any more runs as Nachreiner nabbed a line-drive to third to end the game.

GFW (6-10) plays at Sibley East on Monday, while MVL (7-7) plays New Ulm Cathedral on Monday.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Aiden Eckberg (5) runs for third as teammate Connor Bode (1) rounds second base during a nonconference baseball game against Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Friday at Memorial Field in Fairfax.