The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Baseball scored 23 combined runs on Monday, beating Twin Valley/Ulen Hitterdal Post 413 11-6 and 12-2 in a doubleheader played in Ulen.
FIRST INNING-
Crookston looked to get off to a great start in the top of the first, getting back-to-back singles from Parker Kelly and Dexter Janek. However, a popout, strikeout and lineout would end the frame with no runs across.
Dexter Janek started the game, and he set down Twin Valley in order in the bottom of the inning.
SECOND INNING-
In the top of the second, Crookston was set down in order on a groundout and two strikeouts.
Twin Valley got a two-out single from Eli Hampton, but a groundout then quietly ended the inning.
THIRD INNING –
To start the third inning, Gabe Perala reached on an error and Parker Kelly singled, putting two on and nobody out for Crookston. After an out, Crookston delivered back-to-back doubles, giving them a 3-0 lead. Davin Janek delivered a hit to try and keep the rally going, but a groundout would then end the frame, keeping the damage to just three.
Twin Valley was retired in order in the third inning on two strikeouts and a flyout.
FOURTH INNING-
In the fourth inning, Crookston got a one-out walk from Tyson Siegle but otherwise were set down quietly.
Dexter Janek continued to roll in the bottom of the inning, retiring Twin Valley 1-2-3 on three groundouts.
FIFTH INNING-
Crookston got the bats rolling in the fifth; Dexter Janek led off the inning with a single, Matt Contreras drove him in with a double, followed by Greyson Ecker doing the same thing, and quickly Crookston took a 5-0 lead. After this, Davin Janek and Isaiah Donarski walked to load the bases, and then a wild pitch brought home Ecker to make it 6-0. That would unfortunately be all for Crookston, as two strikeouts and a groundout ended the inning.
Twin Valley was once again set down in order in the fifth inning, this time on two groundouts and a flyout.
SIXTH INNING-
Dexter Janek continued his good day with a one-out single in the sixth, but Matt Contreras then lined into a double play to quickly end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, after Janek got the first out, the bats finally began to wake up for Twin Valley. Two straight singles followed by a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, and after Janek got a strikeout, Twin Valley finally came through, as Trig Anderson drove in two and Hayden Haspel drove in one with singles, cutting the lead down to 6-3 as the game headed to the seventh inning.
SEVENTH INNING-
Twin Valley brought in a new pitcher to begin the seventh, and that became music to Crookston’s ears. A leadoff walk started things off, Davin Janek then singled, and Isaiah Donarski then singled in two runs to make it 8-3 Crookston. An error followed by a one-out walk loaded the bases, and then back-to-back fielder’s choice plays that resulted in no outs gave Crookston a 10-3 lead. They would get one more on a groundout, making the score 11-3 headed to the final frame.
With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Twin Valley was able to load the bases. A walk then made it 11-4, and then in a bizarre play, Twin Valley scored twice on an error, but the batter was thrown out trying to advance to third, ending the game with Crookston winning 11-6.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Crookston | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 3 |
| TV/Ulen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS –
Crookston –
Dexter Janek – 3 for 5, RBI
Matt Contreras – 2 for 5, 2 2B, 4 RBI
Greyson Ecker – 2 for 4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB
Twin Valley –
Triig Anderson – 1 for 4, 2 RBI
Hayden Haspel – 1 for 3, RBI
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Dexter Janek – Crox | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Hayden Haspel – TV | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
| Caleb – TV | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Game 2
FIRST INNING-
Crookston looked to keep the momentum for the first game into the second one, and with one out they did so. Dexter Janek doubled, and Matt Contreras drove him in to make it 1-0. Then, back-to-back errors gave Crookston a 2-0 lead before a 4-3 double play ended the frame.
In the bottom of the inning, Parker Kelly gave up a one-out single but nothing else, getting three outs quickly after to end the inning.
SECOND INNING-
The second inning was the most productive inning for Crookston of the entire evening, as seven runs crossed the board. They got an RBI single from Tony Elbinger, two runs scoring on two separate wild pitches, an RBI triple from Matt Contreras, a sacrifice fly from Greyson Ecker and then another single from Elbinger that drove in two, and suddenly at the end of the inning, Crookston had a 9-0 lead.
Twin Valley was set down in order in the bottom of the inning on two strikeouts and a flyout.
THIRD INNING-
In the third, Mason Syverson came in to pitch, and that became the right decision as he struck out the side in the top of the third.
In the bottom of the third, Twin Valley looked to get something going, and an error and a walk put two on with no one out. Asher Flaten came up with one out and doubled in a run to put Twin Valley on the board, and then Hayden Haspel hit a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 9-2 as the inning ended.
FOURTH INNING-
After a leadoff walk to start the fourth, Greyson Ecker tripled in Contreras to put double digits on the board again for Crookston. Isaiah Donarski drove him in on a groundout, and at the end of the inning Crookston had an 11-2 lead.
Twin Valley got a couple baserunners on walks in the bottom of the inning, but Parker Kelly was able to work around it, getting two strikeouts to keep them off the board in the inning.
FIFTH INNING–
After back-to-back strikeouts to open the fifth, Parker Kelly singled, stole second, reached third on a throwing error and scored on a wild pitch to make it 12-2 all before another strikeout ended the frame.
Besides a one-out hit by pitch, Twin Valley went down quietly in the fifth inning and Crookston held on to win 12-2, sweeping the doubleheader.
Crookston improves to 5-3 on the season and will take on Ada in a doubleheader on Tuesday night.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
| Crookston | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 |
| TV/Ulen | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Crookston–
Matt Contreras – 2 for 2, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R
Greyson Ecker – 1 for 2, 2 RBI
Dexter Janek – 2 for 4
Twin Valley –
Asher Flaten – 2 for 3, 2B, RBI
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Parker Kelly-Crox | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Caleb Kelmetson – TV | 2 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Mason Syverson – TV | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
