The Fertile-Beltrami Falcons scored four runs in the fifth and sixth innings to come from behind to beat the Crookston Pirate Baseball team 11-7 in a game played in Fertile.
FIRST INNING-
Crookston’s Matt Contreras started the game with a line drive single up the middle. Parker Kelly followed with a bloop single to left field. Gavyn Hlucny reached on a fielder’s choice, but Fertile-Beltrami got the out at third base. Greyson Ecker singled to load the bases with one out. Nolan Casavant drew a walk to score the first run of the game. With bases loaded, Lucas Perala blasted a line drive down the right field line for a bases-clearing triple to give Crookston a 4-0 lead. Perala was picked off at third base before Carter Fee singled. The next batter was retired.
Fertile-Beltami answered in the bottom of the inning when Bryer Strem led off with a solid single, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a pop-out, Easton Petry singled to score a run. Caleb Sather reached on an error on the shortstop, and Teegyn Johnson singled to load the bases before Kolby Hemmah knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly to right field. Drew Gullickson followed with a single to score two runs, tying the game at 4-4.
SECOND INNING-
A pitch hit Crookston’s Contreras before Kelly singled, and Gavyn Hlucny walked to load the bases with one out. Ecker reached on a fielder’s choice as the Falcons got the force out at home for the second out of the inning. Kelly scored on a wild pitch to give Crookston a 5-4 lead.
Fertile-Beltrami’s first two batters were retired in the bottom of the inning before Steven Sather singled, stole second base, and scored on a two-base wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5.
THIRD INNING –
Both teams were retired in 1-2-3 fashion.
FOURTH INNING-
Crookston’s Conner Hanson singled to start the fourth inning but was caught stealing for the first out. After a strikeout, Kelly singled and stole second base before the next batter grounded out.
Fertile-Beltrami’s Gullickson singled and advanced to second on an error. A pitch hit Brady Bjerk and Joseph Sorenson to load the bases. A run scored on a passed ball, and a pitch also hit Strem to score a run and give the Falcons a 7-5 lead.
FIFTH INNING-
Crookston’s Cassavant walked with one out, and Perala tripled down the right field line again, scoring Cassavant. Fee followed with a single down the third base line to score Perala to tie the game at 7-7.
Fertile-Beltrami answered in the bottom of the inning when Kolby Hemmah walked and stole second base, and after a strike-out, Bjerk walked, and Sorenson singled to score a run for an 8-7 lead.
SIXTH INNING-
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion.
Fertile-Beltrami took advantage of Crookston’s control problems both on the mound and in the field as a pitch hit the first two Falcon batters, and Caleb Sather reached on an error. A run scored on a wild pitch, and another run scored on an error. A third run scored on a Johnson single for an 11-7 lead.
SEVENTH INNING-
Fertile-Beltrami’s Petry shut the door on any Crookston comeback thoughts as he got the first batter of the inning to groundout and then struck out the next two batters to win the game 11-7.
Crookston drops to 0-2 on the year and will be at Fosston on Thursday. Fertile-Beltrami improves to 2-1 on the year and will host Bagley on Thursday, April 24.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Crookston | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 6 |
| Fertile-Beltrami | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | – | 11 | 8 | 0 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS –
Crookston –
Parker Kelly – 3 for 4, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases
Carter Fee – 2 for 3, rbi
Lucas Perala – 2 for 4, 4 rbi, run, 2 triples
Fertile-Beltrami –
Drew Gullickson – 2 for 4, 2 rbi, run
Teegyn Johnson – 2 for 4, run
Easton Petry – 1 for 2, run, rbi, HBP, walk
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Parker Kelly – Crox | 2.0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Greyson Ecker – Crox (LP) | 3.0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Nolan Cassavant-Crox | 1.0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Kolby Hemmah-FB | 4.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Easton Petry-FB (WP) | 3.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
