The Caledonia Junior Legion boys rallied from a late four-run deficit to overtake Lanesboro in the championship game of the Southeast Substate Baseball Tournament on July 28 and advance to the 2021 Division II Junior Legion State Tournament (age 16 and under). The Burros led 6-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inning (seven-inning game) before the Warriors rallied for the 8-6 win. “It was a very fun game to be a part of,” said Burro coach Matt Schultz.
Lanesboro, after an earlier tourney loss to the Warriors, would have had to defeat Caledonia twice to capture the crown of the double-elimination event. Caledonia improved to 8-4 after sweeping all four tournament contests.
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Lanesboro (Legion Post 40) thus closed the summer Junior Legion season with a 10-4 record, including a win and a loss versus senior Legion competition. The Burros, with the No. 2 seed, opened the substate tourney by downing No. 7 Hayfield, 8-3, and then withstood a last-inning Chatfield rally to edge the No. 3 Gophers, 10-9, before dropping into the losers’ bracket with an 11-1 loss to Caledonia. Lanesboro then earned a second shot at the Warriors by eliminating Chatfield, 8-4. The Gophers were limited to two hits as Cooper Ferrie (5-1) earned the pitching win and Ty Sexton was credited with his fourth save of the summer. Chatfield had just eliminated No. 1 seed La Crescent.
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Caledonia, with the No. 4 seed, opened the playoffs with a 10-0 whitewashing of No. 5 Zumbrota-Mazeppa and then handed top seed La Crescent a 6-4 setback. The Warriors completed an unbeaten tournament run by defeating Lanesboro, 11-1, and then taking the championship rematch with the Burros, 8-6.
Caledonia, as a substate champion, is one of eight teams advancing to the August 6-8 Division II state tournament at Montevideo. The Warriors are coached by Brad Augedahl, who is assisted by Todd Meiners, Eric Goetzinger, Mike Colleran and Jay Yahnke.