7 hours ago
The Cavaliers defend their diamond
A new face was on the mound for the Eau Claire Cavaliers on Friday night. Eli Eckerson drove to Carson Park from the Twin Cities to fill in as an arm for the Cavaliers.
Eckerson and the Cavaliers offense got the job done defeating the Marshfield Chapparals 10-3 in a non-conference match up at Carson Park.
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He threw a complete game, and had a no-hitter heading into the fifth inning. Eckerson recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed six hits.
'A former teammate from college called me up and said an arm was needed, so I showed up to work,' Eckerson said. 'It was a lot of fun getting to know the fellas in the dugout.'
Eckerson is not on the Cavaliers roster. He plays in the Twins Cities, but hopefully this is not the last time he puts on that Cavaliers jersey.
After throwing nine innings, he said he was feeling a little sore and ice is definitely going to be needed.
The Cavaliers took an early 3-0 lead with RBIs from Brayton Hillman and Cade Mueller. Marshfield tied the game in sixth.
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'It was kind of tight there for a couple of innings, but the excitement took over once we started rallying in the seventh,' Erickson said. 'I was hooting and hollering in the dugout and I didn't even know half the names when I was hollering.'
Logan Hesselman and Thillman started up the seventh with singles. Xavier Bembnister put the Cavaliers ahead with an RBI single and Sam Knickerbocker helped knock in four RBIs.
The Cavaliers tallied 10 hits against Marshfield. Bembnister was 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.
'I just try to turn the mind off as much as possible and go up there with the mindset of see the ball hit the ball,' Bembnister said.
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Bemnister is the son of head coach Ryan Bembnister, who was not in attendance. He said it was an interesting feeling not having his father in the dugout.
'This might be the first game in all five years that I've been on the Cavaliers where he hasn't been at the ballpark,' Bembnister said. 'Maybe it takes a little bit of pressure off because he's on me more than the other coaches, but I do enjoy him in the dugout.'
The Cavaliers sit at 11-4 on the season. Marshfield is in the Dairyland League with a 3-3 record.
Assistant coach Brian Mhyre was the voice of the team on Friday night.
He said coaching third base felt the same as being on the first base side.
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'We don't do anything, the players do it all," Mhyre said. 'They're between the lines, we're just facilitators. We make up the lineup card and I'll shake it up a little bit different than what Ryan does, but every guy is dependable in the dugout.'
Mhyre credited Eckerson for making the drive and showing up to compete for the team.
'We just picked him up tonight, and he bailed us out,' Mhyre said.
The Cavaliers will host another non-conference team Sunday afternoon at Carson Park.
Mhyre said these non-conference games are great opportunities to get players in the field. With the offense in a slow rhythm, he said the team can get swings in and strengthen their confidence.
'We are looking to tune-up for June 29,' Mhyre said. 'The guys had fun tonight and they showed up ready to play their game.'
