The Crookston Reds clinched the 2-seed the upcoming Red River Amateur League Tournament next weekend after a walk-off win over the Moorhead Miners 9-8 in a Red River Amateur Baseball League game played at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.
Moorhead struck first with two-run home run over the left-center field fence hit by Ryan Krause to give the Miners a 2-0 lead. Crookston bounced back for one run in the bottom of the first inning. Will Zimmerman tripled to start the inning before Bailey Schmitz drove a sacrifice fly into right field to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Reds tied the game in the second inning. Lars Brevik doubled to open the frame before Taylor Kenfield connected for a rbi single tying the game at 2-2. Crookston took the lead in the third inning after Bailey Schmitz drove home his second run of the inning following a Will Zimmerman double to give Crookston a 3-2 lead after three innings. The Reds added two more runs in the fourth inning. Taylor Kenfield scored on a Will Zimmerman single before Zimmerman scored on a wild-pitch giving Crookston a 5-2 lead. Moorhead took one run back in the fifth inning with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-3 before retaking the lead in the sixth inning. A single and walk put runners at first and second for the Miners before a sacrifice bunt resulted in an errant throw by the Reds’ starting pitcher plating two runs and putting the bunter at second base. A rbi base-hit concluded the inning’s scoring with Moorhead leading 6-5. Crookston answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to retake the lead. Cody Magsam singled before Matt Moring walked with one out in the inning to put runners on first and second base. Bailey Schmitz doubled in both runners and the Reds regained the lead 7-6 where the score would remain heading into the ninth inning. Lars Brevik replaced Crookston’s starting pitcher Blake Karas with the tying run on base for Moorhead in the top of the ninth inning with no outs. A fielder’s choice took the lead runner out at second base before a hit by pitch and subsequent wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with just one out in the inning. A pop up to the shortstop provided the second out of the inning, before an error on the throw after fielding a ground ball by the Reds’ shortstop allowed the Miners to take the lead and force Crookston to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning trailing 8-7. The Reds displayed more resiliency, a trait that has become synonymous with this team as the season has carried on. Lars Brevik made amends for his blown save with a leadoff double to start the inning before Aaron Hollcraft singled to put runners on the corners. Alex LaFrance hit a ground ball to shortstop and the Miners’ infielder delivered a high throw home in an attempt to force out the tying run at the plate, but the error allowed the Reds to tie the game at 8-8 with the winning run now at second base. Another infield error allowed LaFrance to move to third base with one out in the inning before Cody Magsam drilled a fly ball into deep left field plating LaFrance with a sacrifice fly to secure the 9-8 walk-off win. “It was a pitch on the hands, I didn’t even get the barrel of the bat on it,” explained Magsam. “Just swing hard in case you hit it as my high school baseball coach used to say. “I think we’re to the point where we don’t care what nine you put on the field. We’re at the top of our game right now. Defensively, we could’ve played a little bit better, but errors will happen, it’s baseball.”
“I’d say we’re adverse to playing with the lead,” Reds player/manager Rob Silvers joked afterward. “Today we got one the whole game, we find a way to blow it at the end, but then survive. Over the weekend we won three out of four games after trailing in all four games at one point. We’re a good team playing from behind. We’re confident when we’re playing from behind, but for some reason when we get a little bit of a lead we get complacent and a little lackadaisical and it shows when you make six errors.”
The Reds improve to 16-13 overall and 6-4 in League play. Crookston travels to Ada tomorrow for another League game against the A’s with a scheduled first pitch at 7:30 p.m.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Moorhead | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Crookston | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 5 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Blake Karas – Crox | 8.0 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Lars Brevik – Crox | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ethan Becker – Mor | 6.0 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Justin Coste – Mor | 2.2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
For Crookston
Will Zimmerman – 3-5, rbi, 3 runs, triple, double
Taylor Kenfield – 3-5, rbi, run
Aaron Hollcraft – 2-4
Lars Brevik – 2-5, run
Dave Grabowski – 2-5
