steam lose close game to saints in home opener
Landon Janzen was 2-3 with two runs scored and four runs batted in for the Steam in their loss St. Wendel Saints.
Zach Ehnstrom was 3-3 with three runs scored in the loss to the Saints
Jake McGuire went 2-4 and knocked in a pair of runs for the Steam in their loss Sunday.
Nathan Ehnstrom was 2-4 with two runs scored and a run batted in for the Steam Sunday.
Landon Janzen hit a homerun and knocked in four runs, but the Aitkin Steam came up short in a 9-8 loss to St. Wendel in their home opener. Trailing 9-8 in the bottom of the ninth the Steam mounted a rally but couldn't get the tying run across the plate. Aitkin took a 3-0 lead in the first as Nathan Ehnstrom singled, Zach Ehnstrom walked, and Janzen belted a homerun over the left field fence. The Saints scored a run in the third, but the Steam got that one back in their half of the inning. Ehnstrom and Ehnstrom singled, Janzen walked, and Jake McGuire got the run home with a sacrifice fly and a 4-1 lead. The Saints cut it to 4-3 in the fourth and then the Steam scored twice in the fifth to gain a 6-3 lead. Zach Ehnstrom singled with one out, Janzen was hit by a pitch, then McGuire singled to score one run and when Hunter Hills struck out, the ball was dropped and on the ensuing throw to first Janzen raced home with the second run. The Saints scored twice in the seventh to make it a 6-5 game, but the Steam got a run of their own to take a 7-5 advantage. Zach Ehnstrom picked up his third hit of the game and Janzen doubled to score the run. A four-run 8th by the Saints gave them the lead at 9-7 but the Steam made it 9-8 in the bottom of the inning. Carson Kullhem walked, Logan Olson and Jake Ince both singled and Nathan Ehnstrom produced a sacrifice fly but that's all they could get and that ended up being the final at 9-8. The Steam put two runners on in the 9th but couldn't get them around and saw their record fall to 1-2 on the season. The Steam got six innings from Zach Ehnstrom and one inning each from Tanner Hills, Thor Dunham and Olson with Dunham giving up the four runs, all unearned, in the 8th to take the loss. The Steam managed 11 hits, three by Zach Ehnstrom and two each from Nathan Ehnstrom, Janzen and McGuire.
Saints 9 11 0
Steam 8 11 1
WP Aiden Micholski
LP Thor Dunham
lakers trip up steam
The Pierz Lakers pinned a 23-3 loss on the Aitkin Steam Sunday at Legion Park in Pierz. The Lakers jumped out to a 17-0 before the Steam got on the board in the third inning. After two outs the Steam got it going. Joey Simonson walked, Jake Ince singled and Zach Ehnstrom doubled to center scoring two runs. Nathan Ehnstrom doubled to score the third run and that was it for the Steam. The Lakers added three in the fourth, two in the fifth and one more in the seventh. They picked on Carson Kullhem for eight runs, seven of them earned in the first inning, part of their 11-run frame. Tanner Hills gave up six runs in his two innings as the Lakers kept the foot on the gas. Zach Ehnstrom was 2-4 and Nathan Ehnstrom, Nolan Dotzler, Jake McGuire and Ince each added one hit.
Lakers 23 14 0
Steam 3 6 7
WP Carter Petron
LP Carson Kullhem
The Steam have their home opener Sunday as they host the St. Wendel Saints at 1:30.
steam opens with 13-0 win at flensburg
Jake McGuire went 2-4 with three runs batted in for the Steam in their win over Flensburg.
Zach Ehnstrom went five innings, gave up just four hits, walked two and struck out four in the win over Flensburg.
Jake Ince went 2-4 for the Steam in their season opening win.
The Aitkin Steam opened the 2025 season with a 13-0 road win at Flensburg Sunday. Zach Ehnstrom and Jake McGuire both knocked in three runs for the Steam who erupted for six runs in the second inning and never looked back. Ehnstrom also got the win on the hill, going five innings with Tanner Hills and Carson Kullhem both pitching an inning in relief. Landon Janzen opened the second by being hit by a pitch. Jake Ince singled, Hunter Hills got hit by a pitch and Jake McGuire singled for two runs. Nathan Ehnstrom then singled for a pair, and Zach Ehnstrom followed with a two-run double, and it was 6-0. Aitkin got two more in the fourth. John McGuire walked, John Pelasrski doubled for a run and Zach Ehnstrom knocked in the other run with a single. Three more runs in the fifth made it 11-0. Ince singled, stole second and came home on a single by Drew Paulbeck. Nathan Ehnstrom singled for a run and the third run came home on a passed ball. The final two runs came in the Steam sixth inning. Paulbeck walked, Hunter Hills was hit by a pitch and Jake McGuire brought both runners home with a double.
Steam 12 12 0
Falcons 0 4 2
WP Zach Ehnstrom
LP Spencer Friesl
The Steam are on the road again next Sunday against the Pierz Lakers.