The Crookston American Legion Nels T. Wold Post 20 baseball team is taking on Win-E-Mac in the District 9 Division II sub-district tournament in Roseau. The winner will play in the third-place game and advance to the District tournament while the loser’s season comes to an end.
Crookston had a great start to the game with Jacob Miller singling up the middle off the pitcher. He advanced to second base on a wild pitch and moved to third base on a ground out. Brooks Butt walked and Cade Coauette singled to score Miller to give Crookston a 1-0 lead.
Win-E-Mac answered in the bottom of the inning when Kobe Hamre walked, advanced to second on a throwing error, and moved to third base on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Gavin Walker hit a ground ball to the shortstop and Alex Longoria threw the ball home and the ball beat Hamre and the tag was applied, but the ball popped out of the glove and Hamre was safe. Walker advanced to second base when the ball popped loose and later scored on a wild pitch to give his team a 2-1 lead without getting a base hit.
Crookston had a big fourth inning and it all started with a Jackson Demarais single. After a strikeout, Austin Trinkle and George Widman walked. Jacob Miller singled to score a run for a 3-1 lead. The next batter struck out for the second out of the inning, but it didn’t phase Crookston as Brooks Butt singled to score two runs, Cade Coauette singled to score a run for a 6-1 lead. Ashton Larson and Demerais walked before Cade DeLeon doubled to score two runs for an 8-2 lead. Crookston looked like they had scored a ninth run, but Win-E-Mac appealed at third base saying Crookston’s runner missed third base and the umpire said the runner missed the bag and Coach Silvers agreed and the inning was over with Crookston leading 8-2.
In the top of the fifth inning, Crookston added two more runs with a two-out rally. Miller singled and Longoria walked before Butt blasted the ball over the right fielder’s head for a two rbi double for a 10-2 lead.
Crookston added another run with two outs in the sixth inning. DeLeon reached on an error, Trinkle walked, and Widman singled to score a run for an 11-2 lead.
Crookston ran into control problems in the bottom of the sixth inning and walked six batters as Win-E-Mac scored seven runs to get within an 11-9 deficit going into the seventh inning.
Crookston bounced back in the top of the seventh inning when Longoria started the inning off with a single. After an out, Cade Coauette singled to score a run and after a walk, Jackson Demarais singled up the middle to score another run and Crookston led 13-9.
In the bottom of the inning, Win-E-Mac had a threat going with one out when a batter was hit by a pitch and then walked. But Cade Coauette struck out the next two batters and Crookston held on for a 13-9 victory to advance to the third-place game and also advance to the District tournament on Thursday in Red Lake Falls.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
Crookston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 3 |
Win-E-Mac | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | K | BB |
Ashton Larson – Crox | 5.0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
Cade Coauette – Crox | 2.0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
Alex Jacobson – WEM | 3.2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Mathew Sykes – WEM | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Gavin Walker – WEM | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
FOR CROOKSTON
Jacob Miller – 3 for 5, 3 runs, rbi
Cade Coauette – 3 for 5, 3 rbi’s, 2 runs,
Jackson Demarais – 2 for 4, run, rbi
Alex Longoria – 2 for 4, 2 runs, double
FOR WIN-E-MAC –
Jonas Spry and Gavin Walker had a hit apiece
THIRD PLACE GAME VS FOSSTON
Fosston led off the second inning with a walk and Keegan Singer reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second base on a stolen base and went to third on an error. Lance Balstad singled to score a run and Fosston led 1-0.
Fosston added some more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Balstad walked and after an out Cullen Norland, Aaron Norlund, Treydon Boushee, and Noah Mallen all singled to score four runs for a 5-0 lead. Crookston made a pitching chance and the first batter Austin Trinkle faced reached on an error. A run scored on a wild pitch and another run scored on a Keegan Senger ground out for a 7-0 lead.
Crookston finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning when Blake Melsa reached on an error and later scored on another error. George Widman reached on a fielder’s choice and Jacob miller walked. After an out, Cade Coauette blasted a fly ball to the fence for a two-run double to bring Crookston within a 7-3 deficit.
Fosston answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning without getting a hit. With two outs, Aaron Norlund walked, Boushee reached on an error. That same error allowed Norlund to score and Boushee scored on a wild pitch and Fosston led 9-3.
Fosston added two more runs in the sixth inning after an error and a walk and the two runs scored on a wild pitch and a Cullen Norland double for an 11-3 lead. Crookston wasn’t able to score in the top of the seventh inning and Fosston held on for a 11-3 victory.
Crookston will be the fourth seed in the District tournament with the first round on Thursday in Red Lake Falls. Crookston will play the champion from the south, either Breckenridge or Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton. When we get the tournament bracket later today or Monday morning we will post the schedule.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
Crookston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 |
Fosston | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | – | 11 | 7 | 1 |
Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | K | BB |
Blake Melsa – Crox | 3.1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
Austin Trinkle – Crox | 2.2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Evan Chalich – Fos | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Brekken Levin – Fos | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
FOR CROOKSTON
Cade DeLeon – 2 for 3, double
Jacob Miller – 2 for 3, run, walk
Cade Coauette – 1 for 2, 2 rbi’s, double
FOR FOSSTON –
Cullen Norland – 2 for 5, run, rbi
Aaron Norland – 1 for 3, 2 runs, 2 walks