The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Nels T. Wold Baseball team had a familiar first-round tournament opponent. They took on Roseau Post 24 in the first round of the Northwest North Sub-state tournament semi-final game in Ada. The two teams met in the first round of the MSHSL Section 8AA first-round playoff game, and Roseau scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Crookston 1-0 with a combined four hits in the game. The Legion tournament game was more of the same as Crookston took a 3-0 lead after four innings before Roseau scored three unearned runs in the fourth inning and added another run in the sixth inning for a 4-3 come-from-behind victory.
Crookston is taking on Middle River in a loser-out game right now. The game is on KROX Radio, and we are updating the stats and story below.
CROOKSTON VS ROSEAU
FIRST INNING-
Crookston had a great start to the game as Matt Contreras walked and Blake Melsa singled to right field. After an out, a pitch hit Tanner Giese, and Nolan Cassavant singled up the middle and into centerfield, scoring two runs, and Crookston led 2-0. The following two batters were retired.
Roseau came out swinging in the bottom of the inning and Crookston’s Blake Melsa fired strikes. Roseau was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with two ground outs and a flyout with only eight pitches.
SECOND INNING-
A pitch hit Crookston’s Lucas Perala to start the second inning before he was out on a fielder’s choice when Lucas Miller reached. Miller was picked off a few minutes later. Contreras reached on an error before Melsa hit a deep fly to left field, but Roseau’s Kvien tracked it down for the third out of the inning.
Crookston’s Melsa continued to dominate the Roseau batters as he shut them down in 1-2-3 fashion with two ground outs and a fly to center field.
THIRD INNING-
Crookston’s Hlucny and Giese led off the inning with singles. After a strikeout, Greyson Ecker sliced a line drive down the right field line to score Hlucny for a 3-0 lead. The next batter popped out to the shortstop before Lucas Perala hammered a ground ball down the first baseline, but Roseau’s Lincoln Buchwitz made a great stop and got the out.
The first two Roseau batters were retired with a ground out and a strikeout. A pitch hit the next batter before Melsa struck out the next batter.
FOURTH INNING-
Crookston’s Lucas Miller singled to right field and advanced to second on an error. Miller moved to third on a wild pitch, but the next three batters were retired.
Roseau started the inning with two infield singles from Chase Bachleitner and Eli Wensloff. Jack Jerome laid down a bunt and reached on an error, allowing a run to score. Another Crookston error allowed another run to score to bring Roseau within a 3-2 deficit. The following two batters were retired before a pitch hit Cody Otto, and Austin Wiskow had a check swing single to center field to score another run to tie the game at 3-3.
FIFTH INNING-
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a strikeout and two groundouts.
Roseau’s Bachleitner walked with one out, and after another out, Jerome was hit by a pitch. Buchwitz singled to left field to load the bases with two outs. The next batter grounded out to second base, and the Roseau threat was over with the game tied at 3-3.
SIXTH INNING-
Crookston’s Perala was hit by a pitch for the second time after the leadoff batter struck out. The following two batters flew out.
Roseau’s Otto led off with a double, and after two strikeouts, Baumgartner singled to score a run for a 4-3 lead heading into the final inning.
SEVENTH INNING-
The first two Crookston batters were retired and Roseau had to make a pitching change due to the pitch count. Owen Janicke came into pitch. Giese and Cassavant had back-to-back singles before the next batter grounded out, and Roseau won the game 4-3.
Crookston drops to 10-13 on the year and will play Middle River at 4:00 p.m. You can hear the game on KROX Radio. Roseau improves to 17-4 and will play Fosston in the semi-finals at 6:30 p.m.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Crookston | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 2 |
| Roseau | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Blake Melsa – Crox | 6.0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Trey Mertens – Ros (WP) | 6.2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Owen Jan – Ros (S) | 0.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Crookston leaders –
Tanner Giese – 2 for 3
Nolan Cassavant – 2 for 4, 2 rbi
Lucas Miller – 1 for 3
Matt Contreras – 1 for 3, run, walk
Blake Melsa – 1 for 4, run
Gavyn Hlucny – 1 for 4, run
Greyson Ecker – 1 for 4, rbi
Lucas Perala – 0-1, 2 hit by pitches
Roseau leaders –
Cody Otto – 1 for 2, hit by pitch, double, run
Chase Bachleitner – 1 for 3, walk, run
Eli Wensloff – 1 for 3, run
Lincoln Buchwitz – 1 for 3
Austin Wiskow – 1 for 3, rbi
Austin Baumgartner – 1 for 4, game-winning RBI
CROOKSTON VS MIDDLE RIVER (Loser Out Game)
FIRST INNING-
The first two Middle River batters flew out and struck out before Caleb Bray reached on an error and advanced to second base. Start Spilde singled to score a run for a 1-0 lead.
Crookston’s Matt Contreras led off the bottom of the inning with a double to the right-center field gap that rolled to the fence. The next batter grounded out, and Contreras advanced to third base on the play. Gavyn Hlucny helped his cause as the pitcher doubled to the right-center field gap, and the ball rolled to the fence to score a run to tie the game at 1-1. The next batter hit into a double play, and the inning ended.
SECOND INNING-
The first two Middle River batters grounded out and struck out before Isaak Anderson walked and Nolan Bakke singled. The next batter lined out to left field, and the half-inning ended.
Crookston’s Parker Kelly hit a one-out double before Middle River turned a double play to get out of the inning.
THIRD INNING-
Middle River’s Bray singled with one out before the next two batters were retired.
Crookston added more runs in the bottom of the inning when Contreras walked with one out, and Melsa reached on an error. After the second out of the inning, Tanner Gies blasted a line drive to center field for a double, and two runs scored for a 3-1 lead. Giese advanced to third on a balk before scoring on an error for a 4-1 lead after three innings.
FOURTH INNING-
Middle River’s Kelby Augustine led off with a walk before the next two batters struck out. Bakke was hit by a pitch before the next batter grounded out.
Crookston’s Cody Demarais singled with one out before the next two batters flew out and grounded out.
FIFTH INNING-
Crookston’s Gavyn Hlucny continued to get stronger on the mound as the game rolled along and retired Middle River in 1-2-3 fashion with a pop-out and two ground outs.
The first two Crookston batters grounded out before Giese walked and Ecker singled. The next batter popped out and the inning was over with Crookston leading 4-1.
SIXTH INNING-
The first two Middle River batters were retired before Trig Anderson reached on an error before the next batter struck out.
Crookston’s Parker Kelly started the inning with a single to left field, and Cody Demarais followed with a single to right field. Lucas Miller followed with a single to right field to score a run for a 5-1 lead. Contreras followed with a big blast to right field, and the ball sailed over the fence for a three-run home run for an 8-1 lead. After an out, Hlucny reached on an error and stole second base.
SEVENTH INNING-
Middle River’s first batter grounded out before Torgerson reached on an error. A pitch hit the next batter, and Bray singled to load the bases. Spilde hit a ground ball to shortstop, and Contreras fielded the ball and flipped it to second base to get an out, and the relay to first was off the mark, and a run scored. The next batter hit a line drive to center field, and Crookston’s Miller made a running catch to get the third out of the inning, and Crookston won the game 8-2.
Crookston improves to 11-13 on the year and will play Red Lake County at 9:00 a.m. Sunday in a loser-out game. KROX will have the game on the Radio at 9:00 a.m.
Middle River ends their season with a 4-17 record.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Middle River | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Crookston | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | – | 8 | 11 | 4 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Gavyn Hlucny – Crox (WP) | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Tanner Giese – Crox | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sawyer Torgerson – MR (LP) | 6.0 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Crookston leaders –
Matt Contreras – 2 for 3, 3 runs, 2 rbi, walk, home run
Tanner Giese – 2 for 3, 2 rbi, run, walk
Parker Kelly – 2 for 3, run
Cody Demarais – 2 for 3, run
Greyson Ecker – 1 for 4
