Bart is a Morris native who I remember covering when he was a Tiger student-athlete. I seem to remember wrestling best with him. At LQPV he has carved out a fine reputation as baseball coach. But on Tuesday, he shared in the heartbreak as his Eagles failed to cling to a late lead. Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg was the 5-4 winner at the Granite Falls diamond. So it's the Saints moving on in post-season play while those gallant Eagles have to hang up the spikes.
Those Saints pushed three runs across in the bottom of the seventh. Thus the stage got set for extra innings in this 3A losers bracket final. The Eagles couldn't afford to lose again. Suspense was high as KMS's Dylan Rudningen came to the plate. Rudningen's bat produced a sacrifice fly and it was over. Score of 5-4. Done. The Saints will play Wabasso at 5 p.m. Thursday in Milroy.
Peyton Mortenson gave LQPV the lead with a double in the sixth. The hit broke a one-all stalemate. Mortenson was the Eagles' pitcher on this day. He seemed in the groove. He even got some insurance backing with a pair of LQPV runs in the top of the seventh. Surely those Eagles seemed poised to win. But it ain't over 'til it's over, alas.
Rudningen later reflected on how the KMS seniors really got the squad inspired to win at the end. Caleb Collins socked a two-run double. So the score is now 4-3. Ryan Torkelson rapped an RBI single. Mortenson gave way to Wyatt Halvorson on the mound for LQPV. Halvorson kept things steady for the Eagle cause in the seventh. But eventually the Saints won in walk-off style. Two walks and two singles in the eighth sent LQPV to the canvas. Rudningen had the RBI that made the difference. (Sorry, but I can't be sure if a hit or sacrifice fly drove in the winning run, as I'm confused reading the Willmar paper's coverage.)
He was quite the factor on the mound too, working five innings and setting down ten batters on strikes. He allowed three hits, one of which was a long home run by Braiden Kittelson at game's start.
KMS tied the game in its half of the first, thanks to a Collins RBI double that scored Rudningen. Mortenson and Rudningen dueled on the mound with both having to work out of jams. Weston Gjerde was the winning pitcher for KMS. He kept the game close with his stint of three innings. LQPV scored its four runs on seven hits and committed two errors. The KMS line score was 5-10-3.
Five players hit safely for coach Hill's squad. Mortenson had a hit and an RBI. Kittelson's homer was one of two hits by this Eagle. Evan Benson had a hit and a run scored. Caden Bjornjeld had a two-for-four line. Korbin Wells went one-for-four with a ribbie. Dain Haas had an RBI and run scored. Eean Allpress crossed home plate once.
The ten-hit KMS attack was led by Torkelson who went three-for-four including a double and drove in a run. Rudningen had a double as part of a two-for-four showing, plus he drove in a run and scored two. Collins' bat produced a two-for-three line and this Saint doubled twice, drove in three runs and scored one. Weston Gjerde added a hit to the mix. So did Josh Peterson and Brandon Rasmusson. The Call boys, Alex and Isaac, each scored a run.
Lac qui Parle 12, Minneota 1
The Eagles scored a surplus of runs in their previous game which had Minneota as the opponent. My, there was no suspense at all for coach Hill and his charges, who took care of business in a 12-1 triumph. Peyton Mortenson supplied a huge highlight: a grand slam home run! That's something he can tell his grandchildren about someday.
The Eagles scored their 12 runs on 13 hits in this game played at Milroy. Fielding won a near-perfect grade too: one error. The Minneota line score was 1-3-6. Mortenson had a two-for-four line in the box score. Braiden Kittelson went two-for-five with three RBIs. Dain Haas had a triple as part of a two-for-three showing, plus he drove in a run and scored two. Caden Bjornjeld's bat was sizzling as this Eagle went three-for-four with a ribbie. Brett Baldwin had a hit and two RBIs. Isaac Gerdes wasn't late to the party either as he had three hits in four at-bats and scored three runs. Jaymes Moon drove in Minneota's sole run.
Wyatt Halvorson got the 'W' next to his name in the pitching summary. Halvorson struck out five batters, walked just one and allowed three hits and one run in his six innings. Brant Buysse was the losing pitcher for Minneota. Teddy Pesch and Jacob Hennen also pitched for Minneota. The big inning for LQPV was the fifth: seven runs scored.
Lots of post-season highlights
Lac qui Parle played a total of six post-season games: quite a ride for coach Hill to earn his salary! It started with a 6-2 win over CMCS on May 26. May 26 also found the Eagles defeating Dawson-Boyd 15-5. Those games were played in Madison. Then it was on to Milroy where the Eagles were stopped 5-2 by Wabasso. Lac qui Parle rebounded superbly from that setback to thump RTR 14-3. Then came the two games reviewed in this post.
My congratulations to coach Bart Hill and his talented diamond athletes from LQPV, owner of a 15-9 record. I hope all the LQPV students know that Bart's father Bennie parachuted out of a flaming plane over France in WWII.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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