sports

CROOKSTON LEGION POST 20 BASEBALL BEATS FOSSTON

June 10, 2019

The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Baseball team scored three runs in the top of the first inning and added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning on their way in a 5-3 victory in a game played at Thompson Field in Fosston.

In the top of the first inning, Alex LaFrance walked and stole second base. Brady Butt followed with a single to score a run. The next batter, Gavin Salem doubled to score Butt and Crookston led 2-0. Jacob Miller followed with a single to score Salem and Crookston led 3-0 behind three hits and two walks in the inning. “We were like this last year, and we seem to score some runs early,” said Coach Ken Schafer. “It sure is nice getting out to the early lead.” Joe Doda countered with some solid pitching and struck out the first Fosston batter in the bottom of the inning to set the tone for the rest of the game and got out of the inning without giving up a run and Crookston led 3-0. “Joe came out and threw the ball well,” said Coach Schafer. “He wasn’t overthrowing and was consistent.”
Crookston didn’t have much of a threat in the second inning and Joe Doda continued his solid pitching striking out two batters in the bottom of the inning and Crookston led 3-0. “The defense did a pretty good job tonight, we had three or four errors and have to clean that up, but overall they did a good job,” said Doda. “It was nice to get out to an early lead and makes things easier, that is for sure.”
The scoreless streak continued in the third and fourth innings.
Crookston’s Brady Butt singled in the top of the fifth inning for the first Post 20 hit since the top of the first inning, but they weren’t able to score. Fosston answered with a big bottom of the fifth. They loaded the bases and Treydon Boushee singled to score two runs and another run scored on an error to tie the game at 3-3 through five innings.
In the top of the seventh inning, LaFrance and Jade Selzler reached and Brady Butt singled up the middle to score two runs and Crookston took a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Doda continued his solid pitching performance retiring the first Fosston batter on a fly out, he retired the second batter on a ground out to the shortstop. With two outs, Fosston singled and the next batter hit into a fielders choice and Crookston won the game 5-3. “There was some good pitching on both sides tonight,” said Coach Schafer. “We need to shore up our defense, and we can’t have our sticks fall asleep in the middle innings, but it was a good win.”
Crookston improves to 2-0 on the year and will host Red Lake Falls in a doubleheader on Tuesday at Jim Karn Field starting at 5:00 p.m.