Three to the Final Three

Three county baseball teams have made it to Memorial Day.  In the 1AA East quarters, FC/L (2-seed, 16-4) beat Cotter (7-seed, 10-10).  Josh Peters (3-3, RBI, R), Logan Corson (2-3, 2 RBI, R), Sam Rustad (2-2, 2B, RBI, 2 R), and Collin Scott (6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Win, 1-3, RBI) led the way.  In the semis, the Falcons played an epic with La Crescent (3-seed, 14-7).  Lancer Carter Schmitz’s top-of-sixth two-out two-run double tied the game at two.  The game went to extras.  FC/L had the bases loaded in the ninth.  A great catch of a pop-up by Schmitz at first ended the threat.  The Lancers then had three hits in four at bats, plating two runs in their tenth.  Behind Cal Steffes (final 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K, 4 BB, Win), they won 4-2 in ten.  FC/L had two frames where their first four reached.  None scored.  Corson and Scott (2-5, 2B) had multiple hits.  Walker Ward and J-Peters had RBIs.  Colten Kraling (6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 K, 1 BB) got a no decision.  Keith Larson’s bunch then rallied (loser-out game), scoring two in the first versus St. Charles (4-seed, 13-9).  Sam Peters (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 5 BB) gutted out the win.  Cody Schoenmann (1 IP) saved a 3-1 FC/L victory.  Corson (3-4, R), Riley Means (2-3, 2B, RBI), and Scott (1-2, RBI) led the ‘O’.  FC/L (18-5) awaits the loser of LC/Caledonia.  In 1AA West, GMLOK (5-seed, 6-14) is on an underdog run.  In the quarters versus Z-M (4-seed, 8-11), five Cougar errors equaled five unearned Bulldog runs.  They led 10-5 heading to the seventh and held on 10-9.  Drew Copley (3-4, two 2B, R), Zach Bubany (3 IP, Win, 2 RBI, 2 R), Brenn Olson (2-5, 2 R, RBI), and Cody Merkel (2-5, R) led the attack.  In the semis, defending 1AA champ Pine Island (1-seed, 15-5) won 16-6 in six.  Copley (1-2, 2 RBI, R) and Bubany (1-3, RBI, R) hit home runs.  The Bulldogs rallied with a 5-2 win over HVL champion Cannon Falls (2-seed, 15-6) in the loser-out game.  Bubany (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 3 BB, 1-3, 2B, RBI), Myhre (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R), Copley (2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R), and Ethan Fenske (2-4, RBI) led the way.  Jamie Fenske’s group (8-15) awaits the loser of PI/Lourdes.  In 1A East, R-P (5-seed, 7-13) is on a run.  Dan Mlsna’s Trojans beat L-A (4-seed, 6-13) in the quarters 6-4.  It was 5-4 after 1 ½ inning.  Shawn Marg (6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 2 BB, Win), Ethan Anderson (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI), Ben Ansell (2-2, 3 R), Carter Weidemann (2-4, RBI, R), and Halen Schwendinger (1-2, RBI, R) led the way.  In the semis, W-K (1-seed, 12-8) went ahead 2-1 in the fifth.  R-P’s first two reached in the seventh.  Liam Blaschko entered and went 1-2-3.  Dawson Dahl (1-3) had R-P’s RBI.  Payton Hahn (6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER) took the loss.  R-P rallied by pounding Schaeffer (3-seed, 11-10).  It was 11-1 after 1 ½ inning.  The final was 19-1 (five).  Marg (4-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R), Dahl (3-4, RBI, 3 R), Ansell (2-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, Win), and H-Schwendinger (2-5, 3 RBI, 2 R) took batting practice.  R-P (9-14) awaits the loser of Randolph/W-K.