CROOKSTON LEGION BASEBALL SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER WITH RED LAKE FALLS

The Crookston American Legion Nels T. Wold Post 20 did not get off to a good start in the first game of the doubleheader with Red Lake Falls as they fell 10-4. In game two, Crookston got off to a much better start and they were able to get a walk-off 6-5 victory played at Jim Karn Field.

GAME ONE

Red Lake Falls started on a rapid offensive pace with three runs in the first inning. Andrew Johnson and Ty Kennett singled to start the game and Eric Gieseke grounded out to score the first run of the game. That was followed up by three consecutive singles, including run-scoring hits from Bailey Hince and Pacey Struthers to take the 3-0 lead.

Red Lake Falls continued to score in the second inning with two more runs. Brady Luethner led off with a single and Carter Williams followed with a single. After a fielder’s choice, Ty Kennett singled in a run and another run scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.

Red Lake Falls scored another run in the third. Struthers walked with one out, a single moved him to third, and he scored on a groundout from Carter Williams.
Crookston was able to get on the board in the third inning with two runs. Gunner Gunderson walked with one out and he came in to score two pitches later on a triple from Alex Longoria. Austin Trinkle followed that up with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 6-2 after three innings.

Red Lake Falls did a nice job of answering in the top of the fourth getting those two runs back. Zak Kennett reached on an error with one out. Bailey Hince walked to put two runners on and Struthers hit his second RBI-single of the game. Later in the inning, Hince came in to score on a wild pitch to make it 8-2.

After neither team scored in the fifth and sixth innings, Red Lake Falls added two insurance runs in the seventh inning. Luethner reached on an error to start the inning. After two quick outs, Ty Kennett doubled to score Luethner, and Kennett scored on a single from Eric Gieseke.
Crookston needed eight runs to tie and nine to win in the bottom of the inning, however they only managed two runs. After the first out, the next three batters walked. Brooks Butt brought in a run on a fielder’s choice and another run came in later on a wild pitch to make it 10-4. That ended as the final score as Crookston was unable to get another run.

After game one of the doubleheader, Crookston was 3-1 on the early summer season. Red Lake Falls got their first win of the summer to move them to 1-1.

FOR CROOKSTON
Alex Longoria- 1 for 3, triple, RBI, 2 runs
Brooks Butt- 1 for 3, RBI
Jacob Miller- 1 for 2, double
Cade Coauette- 2 walks, HBP

FOR RED LAKE FALLS
Ty Kennett- 4 for 5, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs
Pacey Struthers- 2 for 2, 2 RBI, run
Bailey Hince- 2 for 2, RBI, 2 runs, 2 walks
Eric Gieseke- 1-4,  2 RBI

GAME TWO

Red Lake Falls continued to roll on offense with a run in the top of the first inning. Luethner singled to lead off the game. After a hit-by-pitch, Luethner scored on a single from Brock Knott.
Crookston got their offense going in the bottom of the first with four runs on five hits. With one out, Jacob Miller and Cade Coauette singled and Brooks Butt doubled to tie the game at 1-1. One batter later, Ashton Larson singled home Coauette and Butt to take a 3-1 lead. After a strikeout, George Widman capped the scoring with an RBI triple to give Crookston a 4-1 lead after one inning.

Red Lake Falls took advantage of what they were given in the top of the second scoring four runs without the benefit of a hit. The first two batters were hit by a pitch and that was followed by a walk to load the bases. An error allowed the first run to score. The second run came in on a bases-loaded walk and another came in on a hit-by-pitch with the bases full. The fourth run came in to score on a wild pitch to give Red Lake Falls the 5-4 lead.

Then the offenses went cold with only one batter reaching base, on an error, over the next four half-innings.
Crookston tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. George Widman led off the inning with a single and came around to score one batter later on a double off the bat of Blake Melsa to tie the game at 4-4.

Red Lake Falls looked to have something going in the fifth inning. Ty Kennett pinch-hit to lead off the inning and reached on a walk. He got to second on a wild throw on a pickoff attempt and moved up to third on a wild pitch. Another walk put runners on the corners with one out. Then, Jackson Demarais, doing the catching for Crookston, picked off Kennett at third after a pitch to erase the runner at third. Larson finished off the inning with a strikeout and Crookston got out of trouble in the fifth.
Only playing five innings in the second game of the doubleheader, Crookston needed just one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to win the game. Cade Coauette got the inning off to a good start when he laced a ball into the left-center field gap for a triple. Two pitches later, Crookston got their run on a walk-off single from Alex Longoria to win the game by a final score of 6-5 and split the doubleheader.

Crookston ends the night with a 4-1 record. Their next game is on Wednesday at Stephen-Argyle in a game that can be heard here on KROX.
Red Lake Falls drops to 1-2 in the Summer season.

FOR CROOKSTON
Cade Coauette- 2 for 3, triple, 2 runs
Ashton Larson- 1-2, 2 RBI, run
George Widman- 2-2, triple, RBI, run
Brooks Butt- 1 for 2, double, RBI, run
Blake Melsa- 1 for 2, double, RBI
Alex Longoria- 1 for 1, walk-off single

FOR RED LAKE FALLS
Brady Luethner- 1 for 3, 2 runs
Brock Knott- 1 for 3, RBI
Pacey Struthers and Bailey Hince- RBI each