It was windy day and night at the Jim Karn Baseball Field in Crookston for the Section 8A Tournament semi-finals. Still, the Red Lake County Rebels would win two elimination games to advance to the Section championship tomorrow against Sacred Heart. In the first game, The Rebels scored five second-inning runs and made it hold up in an 8-5 win over Ada-Borup/West and followed it up by rallying to defeat the Fosston Greyhounds 6-5 in a thriller. Cole Larson managed his team to win two games in place of head coach Chris Nelson, who was in Mankato watching his daughter play in the Softball State Tournament.
RED LAKE COUNTY-8, ADA-BORUP/WEST-5
FIRST INNING
Red Lake County scored when Ben Gullingsrud’s fly ball to center field was muffed. He ended up on third base and scored on a Brock Seeger groundout to make it 1-0.
Ada-Borup/West had their first two runners out, but Blake Breiland struck out two to end the inning.
SECOND INNING
Red Lake County’s Keegan Schmitz and Gunnar Halvorson were hit by a pitch, and a walk to Blake Breiland loaded the bases. Ashton Fredrickson singled in a run, and Will Gieseke doubled in two runs. The Rebels scored a couple more runs on a double steal and wild pitch.
Ada-Borup/West scored twice with just one hit. Casper Kritzberger walked with bases loaded, and Cameron Spaeth plated another one on a single.
THIRD INNING
Breiland had a walk but that was it for Red Lake County.
Ada-Borup/West went down with just three batters facing Breiland.
FOURTH INNING
Red Lake County took advantage of a couple of Cougar errors, and Blake Audette ground out to score a run.
Breiland pitched a quick fourth inning with a strikeout, a pop-out to third, and a ground out.
FIFTH INNING
Red Lake County had a single from Breiland, but that was it for the Rebels.
Ada-Borup/West scored when Baron Odden got on by an error with two outs and scored on Ames Fassino’s single.
SIXTH INNING
Red Lake County had a single by Ben Gullingsrud but advancement beyond first base.
With two outs, Ada-Borup would score two more runs on a Brennen Fetting single, Cameron Spaeth had a triple to score Fetting, and Austin McGraven’s single brought Spaeth home to make it an 8-5 Red Lake County lead.
SEVENTH INNING
Red Lake County had a two-out by Breiland, but a pop-out finished the inning.
Will Gieseke was on the mound for the Rebels, and he set down Ada-Borup in order with a couple of ground outs and a strike to end the game.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Red Lake County | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| Ada-Borup-West | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Blake Breiland-RLC (WP) | 5.0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Will Gieseke-RLF (Save) | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Lance Kritzberger-AB (LP) Austin McGraven-AB |
1.1 5.2 |
2 3 |
6 2 |
3 0 |
2 2 |
0 4 |
Red Lake County leaders-
Ashton Fredrickson 2-3, 2 runs, rbi
Blake Breiland 1-1, run, three walks
Ben Gullingsrud 1-3
Will Gieseke 1-4, double, 2 rbi, run
Ada-Borup-West leaders-
Cameron Spaeth 2-4, triple, 2 rbi, run
Austin McGraven 2-4 rbi
Ames Fassion 1-4 double rbi
GAME TWO – RED LAKE COUNTY VS FOSSTON
Red Lake County scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning on rbi from Blake Audette and Blake Breiland and then had to hold on. Fosston would score a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-5 Rebels lead, and with bases loaded, relief pitcher Ben Gullingsrud got a strike out and a fly ball to right field with the win. Still, it was tracked down on a great catch by Brock Seeger to end the game and move Red Lake County to tomorrow’s championship.
FIRST INNING
Will Gieseke led off with a double and scored on a double steal with Seeger. Seeger would steal a base and score on Blake Audette’s single for Red Lake County.
Ada-Borup started with a single from Ryne Duppong and they had runners on second and third with one out. Will Christen doubled in two runs and would score himself.
SECOND INNING
Rebels go down 1-2-3
Ada-Borup added a run to their lead as a passed ball allowed Duppong to score.
THIRD INNING
Four batters, one reaching on an error, was it for the Rebels.
Ada-Borup/West had runners on first and third with two outs, and Gieseke would punch out a strikeout to end the inning.
FOURTH INNING
Red Lake County would tie the game with two runs, with Colin Taggert getting a single and two walks. Taggert scored on a wild pitch, and Gieseke would single in the other run.
A single and a walk was all for Ada-Borup in their scoreless inning.
FIFTH INNING
Blake Audette led off with a single and was caught turning toward the inning when thrown out from behind, and the Rebels had only three batters.
1-2-3 inning for Gieseke to retire Ada-Borup
SIXTH INNING
Red Lake County had runners on first and third with one out, but a pop out to the catcher and fly out retired the Rebels with no runs.
Ada-Borup had runners at first and second off new Rebel pitcher Gunnar Halverson, who got a bounce out to first to end the inning and tied at 4-4 going into the seventh.
SEVENTH INNING
Brock Seeger led off with a walk for the Rebels, stole a base, and went to third on a throwing error. Seeger scored on a Blake Audette bounce out on a fielder’s choice. Audette would score the eventual winning run on a Breiland fielder’s choice to make it 6-4
Ada-Borup/West’s Will Christen singled to start the inning, followed by Jakob Rudie’s walk. The Rebels brought in Ben Gullingsrud in relief, and he hit Tanner Vig with a pitch to load the bases. Michael Mulry struck out, and Luke Sannes walked to bring in a run, which was 6-5. Gullingsrud slung back with a terrific fastball for the second out. Then, with the wind blowing out to right field, Ryne Duppong hit a ball that carried out toward right and going back, the Rebels Brock Seeger reached up and snared the ball to give the Rebels their second win of the day and a move to the Section 8A Championship.
Red Lake County improves to 17-6 on the year and will play in the Section 8A Championship against undefeated Sacred Heart at 2:00 PM at the Jim Karn Baseball Field in Crookston. If Sacred Heart wins, they will be the champions and advance to state. If Red Lake County wins, that would force a second championship game at about 4:30 PM tomorrow.
Ada-Borup/West’s season ended at 16-6, and Fosston ended its season with a 17-7 mark.
Coach Cole Larson’s post-game comments:
Audio Player
Coach Ryan Hanlon’s post-game comments:
Audio Player
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Red Lake County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| Fosston | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Will Gieseke-RLC | 5.0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Gunnar Halverson-RLC (WP) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ben Gullingsrud-RLF (Save) Hudson Boushee-Fosston (LP) Tanner Vig-Fosston |
1.0 6.0 1.0 |
1 7 0 |
1 5 0 |
1 1 0 |
2 5 0 |
1 8 2 |
Red Lake County leaders-
Will Gieseke 2-4, double, rbi, run
Blake Audette 2-4, 2 rbi, run
Colin Taggert 2-4, run
Dawson Erickson 1-3, walk
Blake Breiland 0-2 2 walks, run, rbi
Fosston leaders
Ryne Duppong 3-5, 2 runs
Will Christen 2-3, double, 2 runs, 2 rbi
