The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Baseball team scored multiple runs in four different innings en route to a 12-6 victory over the Fertile American Legion Post 238 baseball team at Jim Karn Field in Crookston on Tuesday night.
FIRST INNING-
Fertile started the game with a Bryer Strem single. Strem stole second base after a strikeout. Kolby Hemmah and Easton Petry walked to load the bases. Drew Gullickson singled up the middle to score Strem for a 1-0 lead. Fertile had a baserunning blunder, and a player was out after being caught between third base and home for the second out of the inning. The next batter flew out to right field.
Crookston’s Parker Kelly singled to right field to start the bottom of the inning. After a flyout, Teagen Lubinski singled up the middle to score a run, and the game was tied at 1-1. Lubinski stole second before Gavyn Hlucny singled. Hlucny stole second base, and Crookston had runners at second and third base. Blake Melsa grounded out, and a run scored, and Hlucny scored on a passed ball to give Crookston a 3-1 lead.
SECOND INNING-
Brady Bjerk led things off in the top of the 2nd inning with a hit by pitch, but then the next two batters struck out. Bryer strem then singled with two outs to put two on, and Steven Sather delivered with an RBI double to cut the lead to 3-2. A strikeout then ended the inning, stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Crookston got things started in the bottom of the 2nd with a hit by pitch and a single by Greyson Ecker, putting two on with nobody out. After a strikeout, back-to-back wild pitches scored the run, making it 4-2. Kelly then delivered with an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-2, where a double play then ended the inning.
THIRD INNING –
Fertile got a two-out walk from Teegyn Johnson in the 3rd, but three groundouts ended the inning.
With one out in the home half of the 3rd inning, Gavin Hlucny reached second base on an error, but he was stranded there, as a groundout and flyout ended the inning, keeping the score at 5-2.
FOURTH INNING-
Fertile was retired in order in the top of the 4th inning on two groundouts and a strikeout.
Crookston got a two-out single from Tarek Siegle in the home half of the 4th, but the threat was ended quickly by a strikeout and a flyout, followed by Siegle getting caught stealing to end the inning.
FIFTH INNING-
Fertile looked to get the bats going in the top of the 5th inning, and a single and a double got things started. Easton Petry then was walked intentionally to load the bases, but Drew Gullickson singled in one run to cut the lead to 5-3. A wild pitch scored Kolby Hemmah from third to cut the lead to 5-4, and a sacrifice fly by Teegyn Johnson then tied the game up at 5. After that, an error scored the go-ahead run, making it 6-5 Fertile. After a strikeout, Kane Oistad was hit by a pitch, and after Parker Kelly came in to pitch, he recorded a strikeout to end the frame.
Crooskton looked to regain the lead in the home half of the inning, and Parker Kelly singled and Matt Contreras was hit by a pitch to put two on immediately. A force play at second put runners on the corners with one away, and a sacrifice fly by Gavin Hlucny then tied the game at 6. Blake Melsa was next, and he gave Crookston the lead with an RBI single, making it 7-6 after 5 innings.
SIXTH INNING-
After two quick outs to start the top of the 6th inning, a Petry walk and a Drew Gullickson single put two on with two away. A slow groundball was then fielded very smoothly by Matt Contreras, who recorded the putout to retire the side.
After a flyout, Nolan Cassavant walked, and a strikeout followed. Crookston then proceeded to deal critical damage with two outs; Kelly singled, and a wild pitch then made it 8-6. Lubinski then tripled home two runs, giving Crookston a 10-6 advantage. After this, Hlucny walked, and Melsa was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Perals then walked, scoring a run to make it 11-6, and Greyson Ecker then reached on an error, scoring another run to make it 12-6, before a popout ended the inning.
SEVENTH INNING-
Brady Bjerk led off the 7th inning with a single for Fertile. After a fielder’s choice, Kane Oistad then walked to put two on. Another fielder’s choice at second base put runners on the corners with two away, and a groundout to Ecker behind the plate ended the game, giving Crooskton a 12-6.
Crookston improves to 11-9 on the season and will play in the Fargo tournament this weekend, while Fertile drops to 5-5 on the season.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Fertile | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| Crookston | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | X | 12 | 8 | 1 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS –
Crookston-
Parker Kelly – 4 for 4, 3 runs, rbi
Teagan Lubinski – 2 for 4, 3 rbi, 3 runs, triple
Gavyn Hlucny – 1 for 2, 2 runs, rbi, walk
Tarek Siegle – 1 for 3
Fertile-
Drew Gullickson – 3 for 4, 2 rbi, run
Steven Sather – 2 for 5, rbi, run
Bryer Strem – 2 for 5, 2 stolen bases, run
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Matt Contreras – Crox | 4.2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Parker Kelly – Crox | 1.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Kolby Hemmah – Fertile | 5.2 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Easton Petry – Fertile | 0.1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
