The Crookston American Legion Nels T. Wold Post 20 baseball team scored six runs in the fourth inning to tie the game at 8-8, but the Fertile American Legion team scored two runs in the seventh inning for a 10-9 victory in a game played at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.
Fertile started the game with a bloop single and a line drive up the middle and they had runners at first and third base with nobody out. After a pop out to the first baseball, the runner at first advanced to second base on a wild pitch. On the next pitch, Fertile hit a ling drive to right field to score two runs for a 2-0 lead. The next batter singled to left field to score another run for a 3-0 lead. Carter Bruggeman struck out the next batter for the second out of the inning. The next batter hit a slow roller to the left of the mound and the Crookston throw went over the head of the first baseman and another run scored for a 4-0 lead. The next batter hit a groundball through the right side of the infield and Fertile led 5-0.
In the top of the second inning, with one out a Fertile batter reached on a walk, followed by a single. With runners on first and second base with two outs, the next batter singled to load the bases. Alex LaFrance, who came in to pitch in the second inning, got the next batter to pop out to the catcher for the second out of the inning. The next Fertile batter walked to score a run for a 6-0 lead. LaFrance struck out the next batter for the third out, but Fertile led by six runs going into the bottom of the second inning.
Crookston started the bottom of the second inning when Blake Fee reached on an error and Jacob Miller followed with a walk. Brady Butt hit a ground ball up the middle and the pitcher threw to second base to get the out and the relay to first wasn’t in time and Crookston had runners on first and third base with one out. Joe Doda hit a line drive to right field to score a run. The next Crookston batter stuck out before a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance to second and third base before the next batter struck out and Fertile led 6-1 after two innings.
Crookston struck again in the bottom of the third inning when Cade DeLeon was hit by a pitch, Gunner Gunderson singled and DeLeon scored on an error to bring Crookston within a 6-2 deficit.
In the top of the fourth inning, Fertile answered with a triple and scored a run on a wild pitch for a 7-2 lead. The next two batters walked before a single to center field that scored a run and Fertile led 8-2.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Brady Butt singled to left field and advanced to second base on an error and Joe Doda singled to left-center field to score a run and Crookston trailed 8-3. Doda stole second base and Jade Selzler walked before Gavin Salem bunted and the first baseman fielded the ball and had nowhere to throw the ball and everybody was safe to load the bases. DeLeon hit a grounder to third base and a run scored on a throwing error, another run scored on a separate throwing error and a third run scored on the third throwing error of the play and Crookston trailed 8-7. Gunderson walked and stole second base and with runners at second and third base, Blake Fee grounded out to the first baseman and DeLeon scored to tie the game at 8-8.
Crookston kept the offense going in the bottom of the fifth inning when Doda doubled, Selzler and Salem walked to load the bases with nobody out. The next Crookston batter hit a ground ball to the second baseman and they got the out at home, but bases were still loaded with one out. The next pitch was a wild pitch and a run scored to give Crookston a 9-8 lead. DeLeon walked to re-load the bases and Gunderson hit a ground ball to the third baseman who bobbled the ball, but quickly threw the ball home to get the out on a bang-bang play for the second out of the inning with bases loaded, but the next batter struck out and Crookston led 9-8 after five innings.
Fertile bounced back in the top of the seventh inning with a single followed by a triple to score a run and tie the game at 9-9. The next Fertile batter hit a ball to the shortstop and another run scored for a 10-9 lead. Fertile kept the offense going with back-to-back singles to load the bases, but the next batter grounded out and Fertile took a 10-9 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Crookston started the bottom of the ninth inning with a Selzler walk, the next batter struck out for the first out of the inning. The next Crookston batter flew out to center field for the second out. Brooks Butt pinch hit and reached on a walk for runners on first and second base with two outs. The next batter grounded out to the second baseman and Fertile won the game 10-9.
Crookston will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Win-E-Mac.
In the top of the second inning, with one out a Fertile batter reached on a walk, followed by a single. With runners on first and second base with two outs, the next batter singled to load the bases. Alex LaFrance, who came in to pitch in the second inning, got the next batter to pop out to the catcher for the second out of the inning. The next Fertile batter walked to score a run for a 6-0 lead. LaFrance struck out the next batter for the third out, but Fertile led by six runs going into the bottom of the second inning.
Crookston started the bottom of the second inning when Blake Fee reached on an error and Jacob Miller followed with a walk. Brady Butt hit a ground ball up the middle and the pitcher threw to second base to get the out and the relay to first wasn’t in time and Crookston had runners on first and third base with one out. Joe Doda hit a line drive to right field to score a run. The next Crookston batter stuck out before a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance to second and third base before the next batter struck out and Fertile led 6-1 after two innings.
Crookston struck again in the bottom of the third inning when Cade DeLeon was hit by a pitch, Gunner Gunderson singled and DeLeon scored on an error to bring Crookston within a 6-2 deficit.
In the top of the fourth inning, Fertile answered with a triple and scored a run on a wild pitch for a 7-2 lead. The next two batters walked before a single to center field that scored a run and Fertile led 8-2.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Brady Butt singled to left field and advanced to second base on an error and Joe Doda singled to left-center field to score a run and Crookston trailed 8-3. Doda stole second base and Jade Selzler walked before Gavin Salem bunted and the first baseman fielded the ball and had nowhere to throw the ball and everybody was safe to load the bases. DeLeon hit a grounder to third base and a run scored on a throwing error, another run scored on a separate throwing error and a third run scored on the third throwing error of the play and Crookston trailed 8-7. Gunderson walked and stole second base and with runners at second and third base, Blake Fee grounded out to the first baseman and DeLeon scored to tie the game at 8-8.
Crookston kept the offense going in the bottom of the fifth inning when Doda doubled, Selzler and Salem walked to load the bases with nobody out. The next Crookston batter hit a ground ball to the second baseman and they got the out at home, but bases were still loaded with one out. The next pitch was a wild pitch and a run scored to give Crookston a 9-8 lead. DeLeon walked to re-load the bases and Gunderson hit a ground ball to the third baseman who bobbled the ball, but quickly threw the ball home to get the out on a bang-bang play for the second out of the inning with bases loaded, but the next batter struck out and Crookston led 9-8 after five innings.
Fertile bounced back in the top of the seventh inning with a single followed by a triple to score a run and tie the game at 9-9. The next Fertile batter hit a ball to the shortstop and another run scored for a 10-9 lead. Fertile kept the offense going with back-to-back singles to load the bases, but the next batter grounded out and Fertile took a 10-9 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Crookston started the bottom of the ninth inning with a Selzler walk, the next batter struck out for the first out of the inning. The next Crookston batter flew out to center field for the second out. Brooks Butt pinch hit and reached on a walk for runners on first and second base with two outs. The next batter grounded out to the second baseman and Fertile won the game 10-9.
Crookston will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Win-E-Mac.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Fertile | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 5 |
| Crookston | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Carter Bruggeman – Crox | 1.0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Alex LaFrance – Crox | 2.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Joe Doda – Crox | 3.2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
For Crookston
Joe Doda – 4-4, run, double
For Fertile-
Mathais Sikes – 3-4, run
Drew Larson 3-5, 2 runs
