Ellendale used a 9-run rally in the 5th inning to pull away to an 18-9 drubbing of homestanding Linton on June 26. Linton fell to 2-3 in Section 2, and 8-11 overall with the loss.

Ellendale started its scoring by plating 3 unearned runs in the top of the 1st inning, capitalizing on 4 Linton errors in the frame. Linton answered with a pair of runs off a 2-run double by Jamie Sathren in the bottom of the inning, but Ellendale got both of those runs back in its half of the 2nd.

After Ellendale added a run in the top of the third to extend the lead to 6-2, Linton rallied for 3 runs in its half of the frame. David Hathaway’s double plated Brady Weber to start the rally, and Kevin Schneider followed with a 2-run single to cut the lead to 6-5. However, that would be as close as the game would get the rest of the way.

Ellendale picked up 6 hits during a 9-run explosion in the top of the 5th, including 2-run hits by John Sayler and Micah Gunther, to take a 15-5 cushion into the bottom of the inning. Linton would do enough from there to keep the game going, but the game would never get closer than 8 runs.

Joe Peldo picked up the victory for Ellendale, allowing 9 runs on 13 hits with 7 walks in 7 innings. Jon Pavlicek allowed 10 runs on 8 hits and 4 walks in 4-plus innings while taking the loss. Jamie Sathren pitched the final 3 innings for Linton, but he did not figure in the decision.

Peldo (3 runs), Gunther (2 RBI, 2 runs) and Tyler West (2 runs, RBI) each collected a pair of hits for Ellendale. Sathren (3 RBI) and Nathan Meidinger (run) each had 3 hits, while Hathaway (RBI, run), Schneider (2 RBI, run), Justin Purintun (run) and Brady Weber (2 runs) each had a pair of hits for Linton.