CROOKSTON AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL FALLS TO WORTHINGTON AND WAHPETON

The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Baseball team had a good start, but errors and solid Worthington Post 5 hitting were too much as Worthing pulled away for a 16-4 victory in five innings and in the second game of the day, Crookston struggled offensively and on the mound as Wahpeton cruised to a 13-0 victory in four innings at the Crookston Summer Bash tournament held at Jim Karn Field in Crookston. 

FIRST INNING –
Worthington started the game by scoring four runs in the top of the first to take a 4-0 lead. The leadoff hitter, Jacke Brandner doubled, Tate Gaul followed with an rbi single for a 1-0 lead.  The next batter reached on an error on the shortstop before Coy Turner tripled to score two runs for a 3-0 lead.  Turner scored on a Triston Sauerbrei single for a 4-0 lead.
Crookston responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning.  After the leadoff batter was retired, Cade Coauette and Alex Longoria walked, and Ashton Larson and Teagan Lubinski both singled to knock in two runs to get within a 4-2 deficit.

SECOND INNING –
Crookston retired the first two batters before Brandner hit a line drive to the left-center field gap for a triple and he scored on an error on the center fielder for a 5-2 lead.
Crookston started the bottom of the inning with three straight hits.  Lucas Miller and Carter Coauette singled before leadoff batter Jacob Miller hit a line drive over the centerfielder’s head for a two-rbi triple to bring Crookston within a 5-4 deficit. 

THIRD INNING –
Crookston pitcher Blake Melsa retired the first two batters of the inning and it looked like the inning was over when Worthington’s Triston Sauerbrei hit a routine groundball to shortstop and the throw to first sailed over the first baseman’s head and the batter reached.  As the old saying goes, errors and walks always come back to hurt you and the two-out error hurt Crookston big-time as the next Worthington batter, Tommy Lais blasted a fly ball over the 325 sign in left field for a home run to give Post 5 a 7-4 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Teagan Lubinski got things started with a leadoff walk.  He advanced to second base on a passed ball and moved over to third base on a wild pitch.  With one out, Melsa drew a walk and runners were at first and third with one out.  The next batter struck out and the Worthington catcher threw a perfect throw to first to pick the Crookston runner off for a double play to get out of the inning. 

FOURTH INNING –
Worthington added another run in the top of the inning with a leadoff home run from Mason Schultz for an 8-4 lead.  The next batter, Blake Ahrendsdorff was hit by a pitch before the next batter flew out to right field for the first out of the inning.  Tate Gaul hit a single to left field before the next batter flew out to the second baseman for the second out of the inning. The next batter, Coy Turner hit a slow groundball up the middle the Crookston shortstop fielded the ball and tried to step on second, but the Worthington runner slid in safely and the throw to first wasn’t in time and a run scored on the play.  Another run scored on a wild pitch for a 9-4 lead.  Another run scored on a wild pitch for a 10-4 Worthington lead forcing Crookston to have a visit.  

FIFTH INNING –
Worthington expanded their lead in the fifth inning with a Cooper McCoy lead-off single.  After an out, Ahrensdorff singled to score a run and advanced to second on an error.  Brandner reached on an error on the shortstop and after an out, Kent Lais tripled in two runs for a 12-4 lead.  Turner followed with an rbi single for a 13-4 lead. Sauerbrei and Lais followed with singles to score another run.  Ethan Meyer pinch-hit and singled to score a run.  Another run scored and Worthington took a 16-4 lead into the bottom of the inning.
Crookston needed to score at least three runs to keep the game going and Larson led off with a single before the next three batters struck out and Worthington won the game 16-4 in five innings.

Crookston drops to 6-10 on the year and will play Wahpeton at 6:00 p.m. tonight in the final game of round-robin play. 

Game 1	1	2	3	4	5	R	H	E
Worthington	4	1	2	3	6	16	16	0
CROOKSTON	2	2	0	0	0	4	7	5

 

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Blake Melsa – Crox (LP)	4.1	11	12	5	1	2
Teagan Lubinski – Crox	0.2	5	4	1	1	0
Jake Brandner – Worth (WP)	5.0	8	4	4	3	9

GAME TWO –

Crookston will take on Wahpeton in the final round-robin game of the tournament. The game is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start. 

FIRST INNING – 
After a leadoff out, Wahpeton followed with three singles in a row to score a run, taking a 1-0 lead. 
In the bottom of the inning, Crookston’s Jacob Miller led off with a walk.  The next  two batters were retired by strikeout and a line out before Ashton Larson laced a  pitch to left field for a single, and Post 20 had runners at first and second base with two outs. The next batter popped out to center field and Crookston trailed 1-0 after one inning of play.

SECOND INNING – 
Wahpeton had a big second inning and it started when Riley Thimjon was hit by a pitch. Jayden King singled, Josiah Hofman reached on a fielder’s choice while King was out at second base for the first out of the inning and a run scored.  The next batter grounded out for the second out of the inning, but it was at this point of the inning that Wahpeton started a rally with the top of the order batting.  Tori Uhlich singled to score a run for a 4-0 lead.  Gavin Schroeder singled to score another run before Caden Kappes was hit by a pitch. Jackson Fliflet reached on an error that allowed two runs to score for a 6-0 lead. 
Crookston started off the bottom of the inning with a Jackson Demarais single, but that was it as the next three batters were retired and Crookston trailed 6-0 after two innings. 

THREE INNINGS – 
The first three pitches to the Wahpeton leadoff batter were all balls and Crookston decided it was time for a pitching change.  The new pitcher’s first pitch was also a ball and King drew a leadoff walk.  King stole second base and moved over to third base on a throwing error.  Hofman followed with a single down the left-field line to score a run for a 7-0 lead. Nick Zach laced a line drive to the right-center field gap for a double and runners were at second and third base with nobody out.  Another run scored on a wild pitch and another run scored on a Fliflet single.  Another Wahpeton run scored on a Hockett double and two runs scored on a Thimjon triple for a 13-0 lead.
Jacob Miller started the bottom of the inning with a double to the right-center field gap. After an out, Alex Longoria singled and Crookston had runners at the corners with one out. The next batter grounded out to third base and Longoria advanced to second base on the play. The next batter struck out and that retired Crookston’s threat and Wahpeton led 13-0 after three innings. 

FOURTH INNING – 
The first two Wahpeton batters reached on back-to-back walks forcing Crookston into the third pitching change of the game.  Jackson Demarais came into pitch and forced an out at third base.  The next batter flew out to third base and after the next Wahpeton batter reached on the third Crookston error of the game, but Demarais wasn’t phased and he got the next batter to hit a ground ball to third base to get a force out and Crookston got out of the inning and didn’t give up a run.
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the bottom of the inning and the game was called as Crookston ran out of pitching after playing five and a half games in four days, and Wahpeton won 13-3 in four innings.

Crookston drops to 6-11 on the year and will play Bemidji Junior Legion in the third-place game at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.  

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Cade Coauette – Crox	2.0	7	6	3	2	1
Lucas Miller – Crox	0.1	5	7	7	2	0
Jason Lindgren – Crox	0.2	0	0	0	2	1
Jackson Demarais – Crox	1.0	0	0	0	0	0
Jackson Fliflet – Wahp (WP)	3.0	4	0	0	1	2
Riley Thimjon – Wahp	1.0	0	0	0	0	1