The Crookston Pirate Baseball team’s Ethan Boll hit a two-run home run to tie the game at 7-7, but Fergus Falls outlasted the Pirates and won the game 9-8 in eight innings at Jim Karn Field to spoil senior day in Crookston.
FIRST INNING-
Fergus Falls started the game with a leadoff single, but Crookston’s Parker Kelly responded by retiring the next three batters.
Crookston led off the bottom of the inning with a George Widman walk. George advanced to second base on a wild pitch and over to third on a ground out. Widman scored on an Alex Longoria sacrifice fly to right field, and the Pirates led 1-0.
SECOND INNING–
Fergus Falls was retired in 1-2-3 fashion before Crookston’s Carter Coauette led off with a single and stole second and third base. Coauette scored on an error on the catcher and gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead through two innings.
THIRD INNING–
Fergus Falls responded in the top of the inning with back-to-back singles from Ethan Gronwald and Griffin Babolian. Gronwold scored on a sacrifice fly, and Babolian scored on an error to tie the game at 2-2.
The first two Crookston batters were retired to start the bottom of the inning before Longoria walked. The next batter popped out to the shortstop, and the game was still tied at 2-2.
FOURTH INNING–
Fergus Falls’ Colin Becker got things going in the top of the inning when he singled, stole second base, and came into score on a double steal for a 3-2 lead. After the second out of the inning, Gronwold reached on an error after a wicked hop at second base. Â He stole second and scored on an error for a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Crookston’s Contreras walked and was stranded at first base as the next two batters were retired.
FIFTH INNING–
For the third straight inning, Fergus Falls scored two runs. Kellen Stenstrom led off the inning with a walk. Leighton Buckmeier singled before Colin Becker hit a line drive to the right-center field gap for a triple, scoring two runs for a 6-2 lead.
The first two Crookston batters were retired in the bottom of the inning before Blake Melsa singled to left field. The next batter popped out Fergus Falls held on to a 6-2 lead.
SIXTH INNING –
Fergus Falls added another run in the top of the inning when Gronwold singled and stole second base. Babolian walked, and Logan Larson singled to score a run for a 7-2 lead.
Crookston tried to get a one-out rally going when Carter Coauette was hit by a pitch, but he was stranded at second base.
SEVENTH INNING-
Fergus Falls started the inning with a single before the next three batters were retired.
Crookston’s Jack Doda reached on a fielder’s choice before Coach Ben Parkin decided to put Tanner Giese in to pinch hit. The move was genius as Giese hit a line drive to the right-center field gap for a triple to score Doda. The next pitch was a wild pitch to the backstop, and Giese scored to bring the Pirates within a 7-4 deficit. Blake Melsa reached on an error, and his courtesy runner, Lucas Miller, advanced to second on a wild pitch before Longoria singled up the middle to score a run to get within a 7-5 deficit. Ethan Boll blasted the ball over the right field fence for a two-run home run to tie the game at 7-7. The Pirates Coauette singled, and Greyson Ecker walked, but the runners were stranded, and the game was tied at 7-7 forcing extra innings.
EIGHTH INNING-
Fergus Falls responded in a big way in the top of the inning with a Babolian single, Logan Larson singled, and a two-rbi single from Stenstrom for a 9-7 lead.
Crookston started the bottom of the inning with a Doda hit. Â He advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Melsa single to get within a 9-8 deficit. The next two batters struck out, and Fergus Falls held on for a 9-8 victory.
Crookston drops to 2-13 on the year and will host East Grand Forks in a doubleheader on Tuesday. KROX will have both games on the radio.
Fergus Falls improves to 3-9 on the year.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
| Fergus Falls | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 3 |
| CROOKSTON | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Parker Kelly-Crox | 3.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Teagen Lubinski-Crox | 4.0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Alex Longoria-Crox (LP) | 1.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Riston Albert-FF | 4.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Bo Bring-FF | 2.1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Carston Fronning-FF | 0.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Jack Horgen-FF (WP) | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
For Crookston-
Carter Coauette-2 for 3, 3 stolen bases, run
Blake Melsa-2 for 5, run, rbi
Ethan Boll-1 for 5, two-run home run
For Fergus Falls-
Logan Larson-3 for 5, run, rbi
Griffin Babolian-2 for 3, 2 runs
Ethan Gronwold-2 for 4, 3 runs
