The only thing better than the weather was Tucker Fenton’s pitching as he tossed a one-hitter, struck out 18 and walked eight to highlight Maple Grove’s 9-1 victory over Clymer/Sherman/Panama in the resumption of a suspended game.

“Tucker threw a heck of a game tonight,” said Maple Grove head coach Jason Yohe. “He threw the ball hard, his slider was working tonight. He’s not afraid to throw any throw in any given count. He can mix it up.”

Maple Grove (8-0, 8-0) scored all the runs it would need before the rain delay in the second inning last week, going up 2-0 with runs in the first and second. While it would have been enough, the Red Dragons did not stop with two and instead picked up where they left off , highlighted by hits 2-3-4 hitters.

Jackson Gowan led off the third inning with a double and Colin McPherson had an RBI single. Fenton walked his first time up, but he saw a pitch he liked his next at-bat in the fifth inning and took it for a ride over the left field fence.

Maple Grove’s Tucker Fenton delivers a pitch during Monday’s CCAA Division 2 baseball game against Clymer/Sherman/Panama in Clymer. P-J photo by Christian Storms

Fenton’s homer was his fourth in his last three games and it gave him a 6-0 lead to work with. Gowan and McPherson started the fifth just like the third, with two hits, but this time it was both of them hitting a double. Gowan later added a triple in the sixth that scored two more runs — he finished 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and scored three times; McPherson went 3-for-4 with two doubles; and Fenton went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama (8-1, 7-1) boasts the highest-scoring offense in all of CCAA, but struggled against Fenton and Maple Grove’s defense that surrendered two runs all season prior to Monday’s game. The Wolfpack’s only hit came off the bat of Gabe Roth in the bottom of the third inning on a single to left field.

The Roth single set up the Wolfpack’s best scoring opportunity, moving Austin White to second base and then a wild pitch advanced both Roth and White into scoring position. Another wild pitch made its way to the backstop, but Gowan was able to find the ball and make the throw to Fenton who tagged out White to preserve his umblemished ERA on the season.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama eventually got on the board when it loaded the bases and Micah Willink worked a walk that scored Tate Catanese to make it 6-1. The Wolfpack, however, was unable to get another hit.

“As the game went on, we took better at-bats,” said Clymer/Sherman/Panama head coach Jacob Marino. “We didn’t come through with the clutch hit a couple of times. We put ourselves in a bad place with some counts. He (Fenton) beared down when he got in tough spots.”

Wolfpack pitcher Gabe Roth delivers to the plate during Monday's game against Maple Grove. P-J photo by Christian Storms

Fenton was relieved in the seventh inning by Kolden McCall, who retired the Wolfpack on two popups and a strikeout secure the win and first place in the division.

“Looking at the schedule, we knew they’d be a tough opponent,” Yohe said. “We were really looking forward to it. We have a special group of kids here and it showed tonight.”

Along with having the Wolfpack’s only hit, Roth threw five innings on the mound and gave up 10 hits, five earned runs, walked one and struck out eight before being relieved by Blake Kopta and Catanese for one inning each. The pair combined for five strikeouts.

Maple Grove's Colin McPherson hits a double during Monday's game in Clymer. P-J photo by Christian Storms