sports

CROOKSTON LEGION BASEBALL BEATS WIN-E-MAC, GAME 2 CALLED DUE TO WEATHER

June 28, 2024

The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Baseball team hosted Win-E-Mac in a double-header Friday evening at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.
Crookston won the first game 11-1 in five innings behind a solid pitching performance from Gavyn Hlucny and good hitting up and down the lineup. The second game was called after two innings due to severe weather approaching the Crookston area.

FIRST INNING
Win-E-Mac’s Cameron Bergman started off the game with a single and stole second base. The next batter struck out before Bergman was caught stealing on a perfect throw from Crookston catcher Blake Melsa. The next batter struck out, and the half-inning was over.
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with two groundouts, and Melsa doubled but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. The teams were scoreless after the first inning.

SECOND INNING
Win-E-Mac’s Bergen Howard tripled with one out and scored on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead. After a strikeout, Clay Below walked, and the next batter struck out for the third out of the inning.
The first Crookston batter grounded out before Teagan Lubinski reached on an error. The next two batters struck out.

THIRD INNING
Win-E-Mac was retired in 1-2-3 fashion.
Crookston had a threat going with back-to-back one-out walks to Lucas Miller and Matt Contreras. After a pop out, Gavyn Hlucny walked, and Tanner Giese singled to score two runs for a 2-1 lead. Lubinski walked before a pop out, and Crookston led 2-1 after three innings.

FOURTH INNING
The first two Win-E-Mac batters grounded out and popped out. After a Howard single, the next batter struck out as Crookston pitcher Hlucny continued his stellar pitching.
Crookston added to the lead in the bottom of the inning as Nolan Cassavant laced a line drive to right-center field for a double. Carter Fee walked, and Miller grounded out, and two runs scored for a 4-1 lead. Contreras walked, and Melsa singled. Contreras was thrown out trying to score for the second out of the inning. Hlucny and Giese both walked to load the bases, and Lubinski walked to score a run for a 5-1 lead. Isaiah Donarski walked to score another run. Cassavant recorded his second hit of the inning when he had a bloop single to right field to score two runs. Fee walked for the second time in the inning to load the bases before Donarski was hit by a pitch to score another run for a 9-1 lead. The next batter lined out to left field.

FIFTH INNING
Hlucny continued to pitch well with a strikeout of the first batter before hitting a minor speed bump with back-to-back walks before getting a fly out and a strikeout to get out of the inning.

Crookston’s Hlucny picked up the complete game win on the mound while going all five innings, striking out nine. He only allowed one unearned run.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Win-E-Mac	0	1	0	0	0	–	–	1	3	1
Crookston	0	0	2	7	2	–	–	11	7	2

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Gavyn Hlucny – Crox	5.0	3	1	0	3	9

Bergen Howard – WEM	3.1	3	4	4	6	3
Owen Strom – WEM Brayden Sander – WEM	0.1 0.2	1 3	4 3	4 3	3 3	0 2

Crookston leaders
Nolan Cassavant – 2 for 3, 2 rbi, run
Blake Melsa – 2 for 4, run
Gavyn Hlucny – 1 for 2, 2 walks, rbi, run

Win-E-Mac leaders –
Brenden Howard – 2 for 2, run
Cameron Bergman – 1 for 3

GAME TWO –

FIRST INNING
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion to start the game with two flyouts and a lineout.
Win-E-Mac’s first batters struck out before some control problems popped up. The next three batters walked to load the bases before Howard was hit by a pitch to score a run for a 1-0 lead. Crookston’s Contreras had a visit from assistant coach Alex Longoria. When Longoria came back from the meeting on the mound, he told head coach Rob Silvers with a smile, “I told him to throw strikes.” It worked because Contreras struck out the next batter before getting the third out on a ground out to get out of the inning.

SECOND INNING
Crookston’s Tanner Giese singled to start the inning. After a strikeout, Donarski walked, and the next batter hit into a double play.
The first Win-E-Mac batter struck out before Peter Kolden walked, and Bergman singled. A run scored on a Sander ground out for a 2-0 lead. Hamre reached on an error and stole second base and runners were at second and third. The next batter struck out, and Win-E-Mac led 2-0 after two innings.

THIRD INNING
Crookston’s Cody Demarais started off the inning with a great at bat. He fouled off several pitches, including one foul ball that hit his grandpa’s car. After fouling a few more pitches, he was hit by a pitch. Lucas Miller singled to right field before the next two batters were retired. Hlucny singled to score a run to bring Crookton within a 2-1 deficit. Hlucny was thrown out trying to reach second base, and the inning was over.

A thunderstorm was moving in, and lightning was visible. The umpires and coaches talked and decided to call the game for everyone’s safety. The second game won’t count, as only two innings were played.

Crookston improves to 8-7 on the year and 4-2 in league play and will host Fargo on Monday.