The Sacred Heart Eagles Baseball team found out why the Hayfield Vikings are the #1 ranked/#1 seed and defending State Champion as they only mustered one hit in a 6-0 loss in the Minnesota State High School League State Class A Baseball tournament semi-finals at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud.
FIRST INNING –
Hayfield started the scoring right away with an Easton Fritcher (going to play for the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher baseball team next year) full-count walk. After a strikeout, Karver Heydt doubled to score Fritcher and Hayfield took a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Sacred Heart’s first two batters were retired before Sam Gapp drew a four-pitch walk. The next Eagle batter popped out to second base, and the two-out threat was over, and Hayfield led 1-0 after the first inning.
SECOND INNING –
Hayfield led off the inning with a single from Ethan Pack, but he was out at second base on a fielder’s choice for the first out. Parker Erickson struck out the next batter and got the third out on a line drive to shortstop Sam Gapp to get out of the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, Sacred Heart had two great at-bats from Caden Reimer and Isaac Zavoral as both batters forced full counts after fouling off a few pitches and drew walks for runners at first and second base with one out.
THIRD INNING –
Hayfield broke the game open in the third inning when Fritcher drew a lead-off walk and scored on a Nolan Klocke single for a 2-0 lead. After a strikeout, Isaac Watson doubled to score a run for a 3-0 lead. Another run scored on an error on the catcher before another strikeout for the second out of the inning. The next batter, Zander Jacobson, turned on an inside pitch and snuck a line drive inside the left-field foul pole and over the fence for a two-run home run and a 6-0 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Cullen Rohrich led off with an infield single before being picked off at second base, and the next two batters were retired as Hayfield led 6-0 after three innings.
FOURTH INNING-
Neither team scored in the fourth inning as Hayfield had one hit, and Sacred Heart committed an error to allow two runners but got out of the jam with Ethan Arntson pitching the inning in relief.
A pitch hit Sacred Heart’s Nick Brundin with one out before the next two batters struck out, and Hayfield led 6-0 after four innings.
FIFTH INNING-
Hayfield had two runners reach in the fifth inning when Pack reached on a strikeout and wild pitch, and Jacobson reached on a single, but Arntson got out of the jam with a big double play.
Sacred Heart was retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the bottom of the inning.
SIXTH INNING –
Arntson continued his solid relief pitching performance for Sacred Heart in the top of the inning when he struck out the first batter, got a flyout to center field, and another strikeout for a 1-2-3 inning.
Sacred Heart was also retired in 1-2-3 fashion for the second straight inning as Hayfield took a 6-0 lead into the seventh inning.
SEVENTH INNING –
Sacred Heart’s Arntson mowed down the Hayfield batters in 1-2-3 fashion in the top of the inning. The Eagles needed to score at least six runs to keep the game going in the bottom of the seventh inning, but all three batters struck out, and Hayfield won the game 6-0.
Sacred Heart drops to 22-4 on the season and will play New York Mills for third place at 3:30 p.m. You can hear the game on KROX Radio.
Hayfield improves to 24-2 on the year and will advance to the State Championship for the second straight season.
For Coach Paul Bethke’s postgame comments, click below.
| Box Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Hayfield | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| Sacred Heart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Parker Erickson – SH | 3.0 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Ethan Arntson – SH | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Easton Fritcher – Hayfield | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 |
For Sacred Heart –
Cullen Rohrich – 1 for 3 (only Sacred Heart hit)
For Hayfield –
Zander Jacobson – 2 for 3, 2 rbi, run, home run
Isaac Watson – 1 for 4, rbi, run, double, stolen base
Nolan Klocke – 1 for 3, rbi, run, stolen base
