Walk-off section win over W-K sends Spring Grove into second round

Spring Grove, trailing by two runs, was one strike away from elimination before back-to-back hits from Ben Udstuen and Braedon Solie sent the large hometown crowd into an explosive

celebration. The No. 8 seeded Lions thus stunned visiting No. 9 seed Wabasha-Kellogg, 7-6, in the opening, single-elimination round of the 2023 Section 1A Baseball Tournament on May 24. The Falcon season ended, while Spring Grove (11-7) moved on to the double-elimination portion of postseason play.

With Spring Grove trailing 6-4, Ezra Griffin had led off the Lions’ last half-inning with a single and Zach Brumm reached base on an infield error. But a quality catch in centerfield and a ground out dampened lingering Lion hopes. With two outs and a 3-ball, 2-strike count, Udstuen singled down the right field line, driving in Griffin to make it one-run deficit.

Then Solie doubled down the right field line to score Brumm with the tying run and Udstuen with the winner. As Wabasha-Kellogg players slumped in stunned disbelief, a large Lion celebration ensued as Solie was engulfed by a throng of teammates near third base.

Spring Grove’s dramatic two-hit finish came long after the Lions’ two-hit start, which although not as dramatic was certainly as stunning. It had been a disappointing start on defense as the visitors took advantage of a walk and Lion error to take a 2-0 lead before the Lions came to bat. But when the Lions did come to the plate, Caleb Griffin led off with a triple, which was followed immediately by Jaxon Strinmoen’s approximate 355-foot blast over the centerfield fence. It was suddenly tied, 2-2.

Coach Chris Strinmoen’s Lions went ahead 4-2 in the next inning with singles from Jacob Solum and Strinmoen, aided by a Falcon error. But W-K added one run in the third inning and three in the fifth to go ahead again by two runs, 6-4. Meanwhile, the Lions went scoreless for four straight innings against W-K reliever Cole Scheel, who had shut out Spring Grove in last year’s section opener on the same field. In this year’s section matchup, Scheel gave up only one hit (a Ty Cleven double), through four innings – until the Lions’ game-winning, three-hit outburst in the seventh.

In the pitch-count era and to save some pitch-count eligibility, Lion starter Caleb Griffin left the mound after four and a third innings. He had walked the first batter he faced and did not walk another while striking out nine. Brandon Jahnke was credited with the win while pitching the final two and two-thirds innings.

Spring Grove out-hit the Falcons, 8 to 5, and half of those Lion hits went for extra bases – Strinmoen home run, Caleb Griffin triple and doubles from Cleven and Solie. Both Strinmoen (2 for 4) and Solie (1 for 3, walk) drove in three runs and Udstuen one.

Each team had three errors. All three Lion miscues figured into Falcon runs. Only half (three) of Wabasha-Kellogg runs were earned runs. The visitors survived one error, but the other two were extremely costly. Spring Grove had only two earned runs.

Each team also came up with some stellar defensive plays, including a line drive grab by Caleb Griffin at second base.

It was the second straight season the Lions hosted Wabasha-Kellogg in a section opener. Last year, No. 7 Spring Grove managed only one hit in a 2-0 loss to No. 10 seed W-K in a pitchers’ duel between Caleb Griffin and Scheel. Earlier this season in a non-conference, regular-season matchup, the Lions won, 7-3, after the Falcons had scored the first three runs and Scheel had tossed another three scoreless innings.

With 1A playoffs all resuming at Austin, it was the final baseball appearance at Blayne Onsgard Memorial Field for four seniors: Nathan Solberg, Ty Cleven, Caleb Griffin and Logan Brumm.

Wabasha-Kellogg’s closing 6-15 record is somewhat deceiving, since the Falcons play most of their games against larger Class AA competition. The teams have played seven times all-time with the Falcons winning four and the Lions three.

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SG 7, W-K 6
W-K  201  030  0 = 6–5–3
SG    220  000  3 = 7–8–3
LOB: SG 8, W-K 5
Stolen bases: SG 1, W-K 3
SG 8 hits (home run, triple, 2 doubles, 3 singles): Jaxon Strinmoen 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, run, steal; Braedon Solie 1-3, dbl, 3 RBI, run; Caleb Griffin 1-4, trpl, run; Ben Udstuen 1-3, RBI; Ty Cleven 1-4, dbl; Jacob Solum 1-2, run; Ezra Griffin 1-3
W-K 5 hits (double, 4 singles): Ryan Hartert 2-4, dbl, 4 RBI, run, steal
Pitching SG: Caleb Griffin 4.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 W, 2 K; Brandon Jahnke 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 HBP, 2 W, 2 K, win
Pitching W-K: Ryan Hartert 2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 HBP, 0 W, 2 K; Cole Scheel 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 HBP, 2 W, 4 K, loss
Records: SG 11-7, W-K 6-15
SG LINEUP: p Caleb Griffin, c Ezra Griffin, 1b Jaxon Strinmoen, 2b Brandon Jahnke, ss Ben Udstuen, 3b Ty Cleven, lf Bryce Berns, cf Zach Brumm, rf Braedon Solie, dh Jacob Solum, Nathan Solberg & Logan Brumm, cr Logan Brumm & Kolton Nerstad

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Spring Grove Baseball 2023 (SEC games in bold)
>>11-7 (8-4 SEC, 3rd place)
W at GMLOK 15-4
W vs. Houston 10-2
L at Southland 4-5
W vs. Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 14-4
W vs. GMLOK 6-2
L at Lyle/Pacelli 1-3
W vs. Mabel-Canton 7-6
W at Mabel-Canton 12-5
L vs. Lyle/Pacelli 0-7
W vs. Wabasha-Kellogg 7-3
W at Houston 4-1
L vs. Goodhue (R-P Tourney) 2-3
L vs. Rushford-Peterson (R-P Tourney) 5-6
L vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo 1-2
L vs. Southland 0-5
W vs. Fillmore Central/Lanesboro 6-4
W at Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 12-2
SECTION 1A TOURNAMENT
W vs. #9 Wabasha-Kellogg 7-6

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B-Team Baseball
>>6 wins, 5 losses, 4 ties
L at Caledonia 4-14
T at GMLOK 3-3
L vs. Houston 3-6
T at Southland 0-0
W vs. Houston 8-5
W vs. GMLOK 4-2
L at Lyle/Pacelli 4-7
W vs. Mabel-Canton 4-2
W at Mabel-Canton 9-0
T vs. Lyle/Pacelli 10-10
L at Houston 1-6
L at La Crescent-Hokah 5-7
W vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo 6-5
T vs. Southland 2-2
W vs. Fillmore Central/Lanesboro 7-6

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Junior High Baseball
>>3 wins, 15 losses
L vs. Mabel-Canton
L vs. Mabel-Canton
L vs. GMLOK
W vs. GMLOK
L vs. Houston
L vs. Houston
W vs. GMLOK
W vs. GMLOK
L at Mabel-Canton
L at Mabel-Canton
L vs. Houston
L vs. Houston
L at Houston
L at Houston
L at Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
L at Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
L vs. Caledonia
L vs. Caledonia