The Crookston Legion Baseball Nels T. Wold Post 20 team faced off with the Grand Forks Blues in a doubleheader on Thursday. In game one, a huge fifth inning propelled the Blues to a 17-15 victory. In game two, the Blues scored in all five innings on their way to a 10-6 win and a sweep of the doubleheader played at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.
GAME ONE –
Grand Forks got off to a good start in the first inning scoring two runs. An error started the game, and was followed by an RBI single to give the Blues a quick 1-0 lead. A double put two runners in scoring position and a sacrifice fly brought in the second run.
Crookston was able to answer back with a run in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Jacob Miller singled and stole second. Then with two outs, Brooks Butt singled him home to make it a 2-1 game.
Crookston put up a crooked number with four runs in the second inning. The first four batters reached on three hit batters and a walk to score one run. With the benefit of just one hit in the inning from Cade Coauette, Crookston brought in three of those free runners in to score to make it 4-2.
Grand Forks got one back in the top of the third inning. A lead off single got the inning started. Crookston got the next two batters out, but the Blues came through with a two-out single to cut the lead to 4-3.
Crookston kept on scoring in the bottom of the inning with three more runs. Butt led off with a walk, Carter Bruggeman followed by getting hit by a pitch, and after a strikeout George Widman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After the second out, Gunnar Gunderson walked to bring in a run, and Alex Longoria singled to bring in two more runs to make it 7-3.
Crookston’s offense continued to produce runs with three more runs in the fourth inning. Coauette and Butt started the inning with back-to-back singles. With one out, Cade DeLeon doubled in a run. Another walk with the bases loaded and a flyout brought in two more runs to give Crookston a 10-3 lead.
Grand Forks started a comeback in the fifth and took the lead with an eleven-run inning. The first two batters walked and after a strikeout the next three batters also walked. After another strikeout gave Crookston to limit the damage, they could not collect that third out. The next seven batters reach on three walks, two errors, a double and a single. All-in-all, the Blues scored eleven runs on a two hits, eight walks, and two errors to take a 14-10 lead.
Crookston was able to get two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Alex Longoria singled to lead off and Miller drove him in with an RBI hit. After a groundout, Brooks Butt was able to bring in Miller with a single to cut the deficit to 14-12.
Grand Forks added three more insurance runs in the sixth inning. A walk and hit batter led off the inning and they came in to score on a single and a sacrifice fly. The third run came in on another single to make it 17-12.
Heading into the final inning, Crookston needed at least five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. A walk and hit batter put two runners on to start the inning. Cade DeLeon singled in the first run. After a couple of walks loaded the bases, Gunderson hit a sacrifice fly and another run came in on a wild pitch to make it 17-15. Crookston got the tying run to second base, but no farther as they fell in game one by that score.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Grand Forks | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 9 | 0 |
| Crookston | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 4 |
GAME TWO –
Grand Forks got started where they left off in game one but getting a run in the first inning of game two. They started the game with a single and a stolen base to get a runner in scoring position. With two outs, they got a run on an RBI base hit to take the early 1-0 lead.
After Crookston went scoreless in the first inning, Grand Forks added on to their lead with another run in the second. A leadoff walk came in to score one batter later on a single and an error to make it 2-0.
Grand Forks continued to add to their lead in the third with a three-run third inning. The first two batters reached base on a single and a walk and they came in to score on a triple. A groundout scored the runner from third for a 5-0 lead.
Crookston got on the board in the bottom half of the inning with a run. Longoria doubled with one out and after a walk, an error brought him home to make it 5-1.
Grand Forks offense continued to click with another three-run inning in the fourth. It looked to be a quick inning with the first two batters recording outs. However, they put together a two-out rally. A double and consecutive triples brought in the first two runs. Two hit batters loaded the bases and a single scored another run to give the Blues an 8-1 lead.
Crookston got another run back in the fourth. Bruggeman and Blake Melsa walked and Widman was hit by a pitch to load the bases with an out. Longoria scored Bruggeman on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 8-2.
Grand Forks scored in the fifth inning adding two more insurance runs. A walk and a double got the inning started. After two pop outs, a walk loaded the bases, and a single brought two runs in make the score 10-2.
Crookston added four runs in the fifth inning, but it was too little too late. Two walks began the inning, DeLeon and Bruggeman followed that up with a couple of singles to score a run. Melsa grounded out to bring in a second run. Both DeLeon and Bruggeman both scored on passed balls. They got a runner to third, but a flyout ended the game with Grand Forks winning 10-6.
Crookston falls to 4-4 this summer and will have a total of four games on Saturday and Sunday as part of the Wood Bat Tournament that they will host at Jim Karn Field.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
| Grand Forks | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 1 |
| Crookston | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
