CROOKSTON REDS CLINCH BERTH IN REGION TOURNAMENT WITH WIN OVER DILWORTH BEFORE DROPPING LEAGUE TITLE GAME TO ADA

CROOKSTON REDS CLINCH BERTH IN REGION TOURNAMENT WITH WIN OVER DILWORTH BEFORE DROPPING LEAGUE TITLE GAME TO ADA

The Crookston Reds topped the Dilworth Raildogs 7-2 in their opening game of the Red River League Tournament on Saturday to clinch a berth in the Region Tournament before falling to the Ada A’s in the Tournament championship on Sunday in a pair of games played at Ada’s Tony Sipe Athletic Field.

Game One –
The Reds continued their season-long trend of playing come-from-behind baseball with Lars Brevik settling in for a complete nine-inning game on the mound, but not before allowing Dilworth to take a 2-0 lead with runs scored in the third and fourth innings. Cole Honl connected for a solo home run giving the Raildogs a 1-0 lead after three innings before Paul Ness drove home Michael Hanson with a single to give Dilworth a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Crookston plated its first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning after Dave Grabowski blasted a solo homer over the centerfield fence cutting the deficit in half before Blake Kawlewski scored on a rbi single hit by Noah Zimmerman in the fifth inning tying the game at 2-2. The Reds exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to put Dilworth away. Dave Grabowski started the inning with a double followed by a double hit by Matt Morin plating Grabowski to give Crookston a 3-2 lead. Aaron Hollcraft singled to put runners on the corners before an intentional walk issued to Blake Kawlewski loaded the bases with just one out in the inning. Following a strikeout, Will Zimmerman sent a ball into left-center field to clear the bases expanding the Reds’ lead to 6-2 before later scoring on a passed ball to secure the 7-2 win guaranteeing Crookston a berth in the Section Tournament with the victory.

For Crookston
Will Zimmerman – 3-5, run, 3 rbi
Matt Morin – 2-4, rbi
Dave Grabowski – 2-4, 2 runs, rbi
Rob Silvers – 2-4
Noah Zimmerman – 2-5, rbi

Game Two –
The Reds set the tone early in the League championship game scoring three runs in the opening inning. Noah Zimmerman started the rally with a single followed by another base hit from Bailey Schmitz to put runners at first and second base. Dave Grabowski connected for a three-run home run to give Crookston a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the first inning. Ada took one run back in the bottom of the first inning on a rbi groundout cutting the deficit to 3-1 for the Tournament’s top seed. The Reds took one run back in in the second inning after Will Zimmerman hit a sacrifice fly into left field to score Aaron Hollcraft giving Crookston a 4-1 lead. Ada responded in the third inning tying the game at 4-4. A single and an error scored the A’s second run of the game before Seth Schmitz sent a hit over the fence for a two-run home run tying the game at 4-4 after four innings. In the fourth inning, Braiden Fetting and Bill Atwood provided consecutive hits to put runners on second and third base. A two-rbi single hit by Matt Pietsch put Ada ahead for the first time giving the A’s a 6-4 lead after four innings. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ethan Opsahl singled before Seth Schmitz drove a home run pushing Ada’s lead to 7-4. Ada added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. With runners on second and third base, a rbi groundout grew the lead to 8-4, before a wild pitch plated Brett Fetting giving the A’s a 10-4 edge. Crookston tried rallying back with three runs in the top of the seventh inning with Cody Magsam walking before Will Zimmerman doubled putting runners on second and third base. Noah Zimmerman singled to plate Magsam before Bailey Schmitz hit a single to score Will Zimmerman. The Reds ended the inning with a Dave Grabowski sacrifice fly cutting the deficit to 10-7. Ada put the game away in the bottom of the seventh inning with five more runs. A single followed by an error put runners on the corners before Bill Atwood singled to plate Sunny Resnick. A walk loaded the bases before Ethan Opsahl hit a double to score two more runs with a wild pitch plating the final run of the inning pushing Ada ahead 15-7. The A’s walked-off as League Tournament champions in the bottom of the eighth inning. Sunny Resnick singled followed by a hit-by-pitch and another single loading the bases before a Blake Fetting double clinched the 17-7 walk-off victory.

For Crookston
Noah Zimmerman – 2-4, 2 runs, rbi
Dave Grabowski – 2-4, run, 4 rbi
Bailey Schmitz – 2-4, run, rbi

The Reds enter the Section Tournament 19-16 and will return to the diamond on Jim Karn Field in Crookston beginning on Saturday, August 4 at 1 p.m. against either Thief River Falls or Warroad.