The Crookston Pirate Baseball team scored four runs and led 4-0 through three and a half innings, before the Warroad Warriors scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth and held on to win 6-4 in the first round of the Section 8AA Baseball tournament game played in Warroad.
FIRST INNING-
Crookston’s Jay Reese led off the game with a double to shallow left field. The ball fell between the left fielder and the shortstop and Reese never stopped running and slid into second base head first for a double. Parker Kelly followed with a single and the Pirates had runners at the corners. Kelly stole second base and the throw went into centerfield allowing Reese to score for a 1-0 lead. Matt Contreras laced a line drive to right field and Brady Fast went back and reached up at the last second and made the catch for the first out of the inning. Lucas Perala singled through the right side of the infield and the Pirates had runners at the corners. Perala stole second base before a wild pitch allowed Kelly to score for a 2-0 lead. The next two batters were retired.
Warroad was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a strikeout and two groundouts.
SECOND INNING-
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a flyout and two strikeouts. Warroad’s Sam Hard started the bottom of the inning with a walk, but the next batter hit a ground ball to first base and Pirate first baseman Carter Fee fielded the ball while standing on first base and then threw to second base where shortstop Parker Kelly caught the ball and applied the tag to get an extremely favorable call for the double play. The next batter struck out looking for the third out and Crookston led 2-0.
THIRD INNING –
Crookston’s Reese led off the third inning by reaching on a hit by pitch. He advanced to second on a throwing error and Kelly singled. Reese got caught in a rundown between third base and home plate and was tagged out. Kelly advanced to second base on the rundown. Contreras singled to score Kelly and Perala singled to left field to score Contreras for a 4-0 lead.
Warroad’s Brady Fast walked on four pitches before the next three batters struck out and Crookston took a 4-0 lead into the fourth inning.
FOURTH INNING-
Crookston’s Fee walked before he was caught stealing. The next two batters were retired on strikeouts.
Warroad’s Kason Pietruszewski led off the inning with the first Warrior hit of the game and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. The next batter flew out to centerfield before Sam Hard walked and Wesley Schreiner singled to score a run. A Barrett Hontve ground out allowed another run to score and the Warriors trailed 4-2. Fast hit a fly to shallow right field and it looked like the Pirates were going to get out of the inning, but the ball was dropped and a run scored. The next batter walked before Zach Rose singled to score a run and Ryan Chamernick singled to score a run for a 5-4 lead.
FIFTH INNING-
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a flyout, groundout, and strikeout.
Crookston’s Contreras had an outstanding answer on the mound as he struck out all three batters in the bottom of the inning and Warroad led 5-4.
SIXTH INNING-
Crookston’s first two batters were retired with a strikeout and groundout before Cody Demarais hit a ground ball that deflected off the leg of the pitcher for a single. The next batter was robbed of a base hit by Wesley Shreiner as he backhanded a ground ball down the third baseline and threw to first for the third out of the inning.
Warroad’s Brady Fast reached with a one-out walk, Kael Thompson singled and Zach Rose ripped a line drive off the fence in left-center field for an rbi double to give the Warriors a 6-4 lead. The next batter lined out to right field for the second out of the inning. Isaiah Donarski had to come in to pitch for the Pirates after Contreras hit the pitch count limit and he threw one pitch and got a line drive out to centerfield.
SEVENTH INNING-
Crookston’s Conner Hanson walked with one out and Warroad made a pitching change and brought in Liam Grover. He got the next batter to fly out and ground out and Warroad won the game 6-4.
Crookston’s season comes to an end with a 3-13 record and they say goodbye to three seniors – Matt Contreras, Parker Kelly, and Conner Hanson. Warroad improves to 10-10 and will play in the second round on Thursday.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
Crookston | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
Warroad | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | – | 6 | 6 | 2 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS –
Crookston –
Lucas Perala – 2 for 3, rbi
Parker Kelly – 2 for 4, 2 runs, rbi
Jay Reese – 1 for 3, 2 runs
Cody Demarais – 1 for 3
Matt Contreras – 1 for 3, run
Warroad-
Zach Rose – 2 for 3, 2 rbi
Wesley Schreiner – 1 for 3, rbi, run
Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
Matt Contreras-Crox | 5.2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
Isaiah Donarski-Crox | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kason Pietruszewski – WAR | 6.1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
Liam Grover-WAR | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
