CROOKSTON LEGION BASEBALL FALLS TO WARROAD, BEATS LANCASTER TO STAY ALIVE IN TOURNEY PLAY

The Crookston American Legion Nels T. Wold Post 20 baseball team led 5-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but Warroad scored six runs in the sixth inning to win the game 6-5 in the first round of the District 9 Division II American Legion sub-district tournament.   In a loser-out game, Crookston outlasted Lancaster to beat them 8-7 in eight innings to advance to play again on Sunday.

GAME ONE – VS WARROAD

After a scoreless first inning, Crookston got on the board first with a run in the top of the second inning.  After an out, Carter Bruggeman reached on an error after a hard-hit ground ball went off the glove of the third baseman.  Bruggeman advanced to second base on a wild pitch and scored on an Ashton Larson double to right field for a 1-0 lead. 

Crookston added some more runs in the top of the third inning.  George Widman led off with a walk, Alex Longoria doubled and Crookston had runners at second and third base without an out.  Jacob Miller grounded out to the third baseman, and a run came into score.  Longoria scored on an error and Crookston had a 3-0 lead through three innings of play.

In the fifth inning, Crookston’s Longoria led off with a walk, Miller singled and Cade Coauette followed with a single to score a run.  Brooks Butt followed with an rbi single and runners were at second and third base after a wild pitch.  Warroad made a pitching change and it turned out to be a great move as Blake Norris stuck out the next three batters he faced and Crookston led 5-0.  

Warroad finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Jeremy Cole led off the inning with a single.  After an out, Tucker Sproals hit a ground-rule double.  Daniel Rose followed with a two-run scoring single to get within a 5-2 deficit.  The next batter reached on an error after a hard-hit ball to shortstop, the next batter was hit by a pitch.  The next Warroad batter, Chance Smith, reached on an error on the third baseman and a run scored to get within a 5-3 deficit.  Bo Thompson walked with bases loaded to score a run and Anthony Foster reached on an error on the second baseman to tie the game at 5-5.  Cole batted for the second time in the inning, and hit into a fielder’s choice to score a run for a 6-5 lead.  

Crookston had two runners on base in the seventh inning, but that is all they could muster and Warroad held onto a 6-5 victory.  

Crookston drops to 7-12 on the season and will play Kennedy in a loser-out game at 5:00 p.m.  Warroad will play Fosston in the winners bracket game at 7:30 p.m.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Crookston	0	1	2	0	2	0	0	5	6	5
Warroad	0	0	0	0	0	6	–	6	7	3

 

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	K	BB
Jacob Miller – Crox	6	5	6	2	5	2
Daniel Rose – War	4.0	6	5	4	3	3
Blake Norris – War	2.2	0	0	0	5	2
Chance Smith – War	0.1	0	0	0	0	0

 

FOR CROOKSTON
Cade Coauette – 2 for 4, rbi
Alex Longoria – 1 for 1, 3 walks, 2 runs
Brooks Butt – 1 for 3, walk, rbi

FOR Warroad – 
Tucker Sproals – 2 for 2, run
Daniel Rose – 1 for 3, 2 rbi, run

 

GAME TWO – VS LANCASTER

Lancaster came out strong in the top of the first inning when Adam Gustafson singled and scored on a Frank Finney single for a quick 1-0 lead. 
Crookston responded with back-to-back walks to Jacob Miller and Cade Coauette.  The two runners advanced to second and third base on a wild pitch and Miller scored on a Brook Butt sacrifice fly.  Coauette scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch and Crookston led 2-1 after the first inning. 

Lancaster responded with four runs in the top of the second inning with a walk and back-to-back singles to score a run.  After another walk, Adam Gustafson singled in two runs, and Calvin Hanson grounded out to score another run for a 4-2 lead.  
Crookston answered in the bottom of the inning when Austin Trinkle drew a one-out walk.  After another out, George Widman walked and Alex Longoria blasted a double off the base of the fence in the left-centerfield gap to score two runs.  Jacob Miller followed with another double to score a run to tie the game at 5-5.  

Lancaster took the lead when they scored a run in the fourth inning. 

Crookston regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Miller walked, Coauette was hit by a pitch, Butt reached on an error that scored Miller to tie the game at 6-6.  Ashton Larson followed with a double to score Butt’s courtesy runner (Jackson Demerais) for a 7-6 lead.  

Crookston retired the first two batters they faced in the top of the seventh inning and were one out away from winning the game, but two errors and a bloop single allowed a run to score and Lancaster tied the game at 7-7, forcing extra innings. 

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Crookston’s Trinkle was hit by a pitch, stole second base, advanced to third on a beautiful bunt single from Widman.  A few pitches later, Trinkle scored on a balk and Crookston won the game 8-7. 

Crookston improves to 8-12 on the year and will advance to another loser-out game on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. 

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	R	H	E
Lancaster	1	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	7	9	2
Crookston	2	3	0	0	2	0	0	1	8	6	2

 

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	K	BB
Brooks Butt – Crox	8.0	9	7	6	4	3
Frank Finney – Lan	6.2	4	7	5	3	7
Adam Gustafson-Lan	0.2	2	1	1	0	2

 

FOR CROOKSTON
Ashton Larson – 2 for 4, double, rbi
Jacob Miller – 1 for 1, 3 walks, 2 runs, rbi
George Widman – 1 for 3, walk, run