The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Baseball team lost to the Middle River Post 444 Renegades 3-2 in the first game and won the second game 12-2 in three innings in a doubleheader at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.
FIRST INNING-
Middle River’s Trig Anderson walked with one out before the next two batters struck out and grounded out.
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with two ground outs and a fly out.
SECOND INNING-
Middle River’s Jaxon Melcher singled, and Sraet Spilde was hit by a pitch. The next batter hit into a double play before a strikeout, and the half-inning was over.
Crookston’s Gavyn Hlucny led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. The next three batters hit into a fielder’s choice for an out, a strikeout, and a lineout to retire Crookston.
THIRD INNING –
A pitch hit Middle River’s Cale Pearson before a strikeout. Anderson reached on an error before the next batter grounded out. Eizen Olson was down in the count with two strikes before he ripped a ground ball up the middle to score two runs to give Middle River a 2-0 lead. After a walk, the next batter struck out.
Middle River’s Alex Bray was outstanding on the mound as he continued his mastery of the Crookston offense with another 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts and a ground out.
FOURTH INNING-
Middle River was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with three strikeouts.
Crookston was also retired in 1-2-3 fashion with two fly outs and a ground out.
FIFTH INNING-
Middle River’s Anderson walked and Kelby Augustine singled before a run scored on an error for a 3-0 lead. The next two batters struck out.
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a ground out, strikeout, and a fly out.
SIXTH INNING
Middle River’s Payton Gust and Tate Bakke walked before the next three batters were retired with two strikeouts and a pop out.
Crookston’s first two batters were retired before Parker Kelly walked and Matt Contreras singled to centerfield, and the ball got past the centerfielder, and Kelly scored to get Crookston within a 3-1 deficit.
SEVENTH INNING
Middle River’s Kelby Augustine walked, and after Olson hit into a fielder’s choice, Crookston got the out at second base. A pitch hit Melcher, and Middle River had runners at first and second base. The next two batters struck out.
Crookston’s Gavyn Hlucny crushed a line drive to the right-center field gap for a lead-off triple with the tying run at the plate. Teagen Lubinski blasted a ground ball off the pitchers mound and into centerfield for a run-scoring single. With Crookston trailing 3-2, a passed ball allowed Lubinski to advance to second base. The next batter struck out. The next batter grounded out to third base, and Lubinski advanced to third base on the throw to first base. The next batter grounded out back to the pitcher and Middle River won the game 3-2.
Crookston drops to 9-8 on the year. Middle River is 6-6 on the year.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Middle River | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Crookston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS –
Crookston –
Gavyn Hlucny – 1 for 2, run, walk, triple
Matt Contreras – 1 for 3, rbi
Teagen Lubinski – 1 for 3, rbi
Middle River-
Jaxon Melcher – 1 for 2, walk, hip
Kelby Augustine – 1 for 3, walk
Eizen Olson – 1 for 4, 3 rbi
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Gavyn Hlucny-Crox | 5.1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Parker Kelly-Crox | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Alex Bray – MR | 7.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Game 2
FIRST INNING-
Middle River’s Jake Fredrickson was hit by a pitch with one out before the next two batters struck out.
Crookston’s Lucas Perala tripled and scored on a wild pitch. A pitch hit Matt Contreras, Tony Elbinger reached on an error, and Jay Reese tripled to score two runs for a 3-0 lead. Isaiah Donarski walked before a run scored on a wild pitch. Ethan Lanctot followed with a double to score a run for a 5-0 Crookston lead. After a strikeout, Aiden Delage reached on an error and a run scored to give Crookston a 6-0 lead after one inning.
SECOND INNING-
Middle River’s Walter Taus walked before the next three batters were retired with a pair of pop outs and a strikeout.
Crookston’s Elbinger singled to start the bottom of the inning. After a strikeout, Donarski singled to score a run for a 7-0 lead. The next two batters grounded out and popped out.
THIRD INNING –
Middle River got on the board in the third inning when a pitch hit Reece Koland, Straet Spilde walked, and a run scored on a passed ball. A pitch hit Fredrickson before another run scored on a passed ball to bring Post 444 within a 7-2 deficit. The next two batters were retired.
Crookston’s Tarek Siegle led off the bottom of the inning with a walk before Delage doubled to score a run. Lucas Perala reached on a throwing error, and Crookston had runners at first and third base with nobody out. Perala stole second base on the next pitch. After a strikeout, Elbinger singled to score another run for a 9-2 lead. Another run scored on a wild pitch before Reese hit a fly to right field that was caught, but it was deep enough to score a run. Donarski walked before Cody Demarais reached on an error that allowed a run to score and Crookston won the game 12-2 in three innings due to the run-rule.
Crookston improves to 10-8 on the year and will travel to Hillsboro on Monday, July 7 and KROX Radio will have the game on the radio. Middle River drops to 6-7 on the year.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | R | H | E | |
| Middle River | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Crookston | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 0 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS-
Crookston –
Tony Elbinger – 2 for 3, 2 runs, rbi
Isaiah Donarski – 1 for 1, 2 runs, 2 walks, rbi
Jay Reese – 1 for 2, 3 rbi, run, triple
Lucas Perala – 1 for 2, 2 runs, walk
Ethan Lanctot – 1 for 2, rbi, run
Aiden Delage – 1 for 2, rbi, run
Middle River
No hits
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Aiden Delage-Crox | 3.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Brekken Bring-MR | 2.0 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| T. Bakke – MR | 0.2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
