CROOKSTON BASEBALL GOES DEEP AGAIN IN WIN AT FOSSTON

The Crookston Pirate Baseball Team was able to improve to 2-0 on the season as they beat the Fosston Greyhounds 18-6 in six innings on Thursday in Fosston.

Crookston got off to another hot start in the first inning getting out to a 6-0 lead. The Pirates first five hitters reached base to start the game. Gunner Gunderson led things off with a hit-by-pitch. That was followed up with a Jacob Miller single and a Brooks Butt walk to load the bases. They got their first runs off of a two-RBI single from Carter Bruggeman. Another walk loaded up the bases again. A pop-out was the first out of the inning, but Ethan Boll picked up his teammate with a two-RBI single of his own after a great battle at the plate. Later in the inning with two outs, Gunderson came back up to the plate and hit another two-RBI single to cap the scoring in the inning and give the Pirates the early 6-0 lead. “We talked about it before the game, getting in hitting counts and they did. We got pitches and we hit them hard,” said Pirates Head Coach Mitch Bakken. “Very happy with the at-bats today.”
Fosston answered with a couple of runs of their own in the bottom half. After the first two hitters were retired, a walk to Tommy Simonson gave the Greyhounds some life. A stolen base and an infield single got them on the board. Fosston replicated that with another stolen base and infield single to get two of the runs back. After one inning of play, it was 6-2.

Crookston got another run back in the second. Butt led off by reaching on an error and with two outs in the inning, Ashton Larson came through with an RBI single to make it 7-2.
Fosston was able to again answer back in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own. Keegan Senger led off with a double. After a hit by pitch, Crookston turned a slick double play with Jack Doda stepping on first and then throwing to second for the tag out. It looked like that would help them get out of the inning unscathed, but a single from Cullen Norland made it a 7-3 game after two innings.

The scoring spree continued for Crookston as they put up another crooked number with five runs in the third. The Pirates led off reaching on an error. After an out, back-to-back walks loaded the bases once again for the Pirates. And again, they came through with a timely hit. Butt ripped a two-RBI single to left to make it 9-3. Bruggeman reached on a fielder’s choice error on an attempted double play which kept the inning alive. Another hit-by-pitch re-loaded the bases and Larson knocked his second RBI single of the game. Boll was the next hitter and he hit a towering fly ball to shallow left that seemed like it would end the inning, but the wind made it a harder play and it deflected off the right fielder’s glove allowing two more Pirates to score.
But, once again, Fosston was able to at least answer back with a run. A leadoff walk came back to bite the Pirates as he came around to score on Carson Boushee’s two-out, RBI single to make it 12-4 after three innings.

Still, without a scoreless half-inning, Crookston decided to keep that streak going as they added on two more runs. Austin Trinkle got the inning started with a lead-off single. After he stole second, Gunderson singled him home and went to second on the throw. “Gunner has been our spark. He’s not flashy, but he hits where the ball is pitched and with his speed, we can steal him whenever we want,” explained Bakken. Miller got back into the action as he subsequently drove in Gunderson with a single. A double play stalled the Pirates but they still led 14-4 after the top of the fourth. “Everybody delivered today, one through nine, it was great,” said Coach Bakken.
The Greyhounds would not go down without a fight as they were able to plate two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Fosston took advantage of another free base to start the inning. After two quick outs, two more walks loaded the bases and prompted a pitching change for the Pirates. Miller came in to slow the Fosston offense, but Lance Balstad had other ideas as he lined a two-RBI double into left field before a groundout ended the inning.

Finally, in the fifth inning, the pitching prevailed as each team put up the first zeros on the scoreboard columns. Fosston had their leadoff hitter reach base, but Miller settled in and got three looking strikeouts in a row to end the inning.

Crookston’s offense got right back to it in the sixth inning with four more runs. A first-pitch out started the inning, but Gunderson walked, and Miller singled him to third. Then, Butt hit a deep fly ball to left field to score Gunderson on a sac fly and Bruggeman singled in Miller for a 10-run lead. The Pirates were not done, though as Cade DeLeon sent a deep fly ball to left field that snuck over the fence and just inside the foul pole for a two-run homerun to get it to an 18-6 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. “We’ve really worked on his swing over the last couple of years and he has really listened to the coaches and shortened up his swing,” said Coach Mitch Bakken.
Needing three runs to extend the game, Fosston was able to get that potential third run to the plate but did not do anything with the opportunity and Crookston walked away with an 18-6 victory.

Crookston improves to 2-0 on the early season and will host a fellow Section 8AA team Park Rapids in the Pirate’s home opener.
Fosston drops to 1-1 on the year and will host West Marshall Friday in Fosston.

For Crookston
Gunner Gunderson- 2 for 2, 4 runs, 3 RBI
Jacob Miller- 3 for 4, 2 runs, RBI
Ashton Larson- 3 for 5, 2 RBI
Carter Bruggeman- 2 for 5, 3 runs, 3 RBI
Cade DeLeon- 1 for 3, 3 Runs, 2-run homerun
Brooks Butt- 1 for 3, 3 runs, 3 RBI

For Fosston
Lance Balstad- 2 for 4, 1 run, 3 RBI
Carson Boushee- 2 for 3, RBI
Cullen Norland, Tommy Simonson, Evan Chalich, and Keegan Senger- 1 hit apiece