Junior Vultures drop playoff opener in extra inning

On the same night when the New York Yankees and Minneota Twins would play what many called the “Best game all year,” won by the Yankees in 10-innings, 14-12 — the Minneota Jr. Vultures and BOLD hooked up in a classic of their own.
“In a game that had everything,” as Minneota Coach J.D. Pesch would say, BOLD survived in extra innings, 6-5.
“That was a fun game. I wish it was the finals or semi-finals,” said Pesch.
It was supposed to be a game with a distinct Minneota advantage. They were ranked No. 2 in the South Central Sub-State and BOLD came in ranked No. 7.
But it wasn’t indicative of the team BOLD had. All year five of their starters (including two pitchers) played Senior Legion ball as the substitutes sogged their way to a one-win season.
Then playoffs came and BOLD put an entirely updated Jr. Legion team on the field.
In the early going BOLD had the advantage, hitting their way to a 5-1 lead off Minneota starter Thor Fischer.
But in true Jr. Vulture fashion, Minneota started “chipping away at the lead, until they were down just 5-3 after five innings.
“All year this team has been in a hole and come back,” said Coach Pesch.
And they did it again. It actually started in the fifth inning when Ben Skorczewski led off with  booming double to left-center field that was mis-played by the outfielder and he completely rounded the bases and scored.
Then in the sixth, down by two runs, Jackson Esping started a rally with a single, Jonah Gruenes walked and Skorczewski delivered again with a long single to knock in both runs to tie the score at 5-5.
Coach Pesch decided to save Fischer because his pitch count was mounting so he went to AJ Myhre on the mound in the fourth inning.
That proved to be an outstanding decision as Myhre, “Hit his spots — and had good control. He was tough,” said the coach.
He pitched into the eighth and gave up no hits, fanned seven, walked two and hit one. But in the eighth Eli Walton reached Myhre for a single.
Elliot Hagen singled and Ryan King doubled home the go-ahead run before Myhre could put out the fire.
In the bottom of the eighth, down 6-5, Skorczewski did it again. He doubled to the wall in left field. With one out Cooper VanOverbeke walked and it looked like Minneota was about to tie up the game.
But Skorczewski roamed a little too far off second and BOLD catcher Adam Effering, who had been the starting pitcher, gunned the ball to second and picked off Skorczewski.
“That catcher has a great arm,” said Minneota Coach Pesch.
Minneota couldn’t recover and  Myhre drove a ball to centerfield, where it was caught to end the game.
“Both BOLD’s pitchers (Effering and reliever Avery Herding) pitched for BOLD in the high school state tournament, which BOLD won,” said Coach Pesch.
“Those were the two best pitchers we’ve seen all year,” he said.
Minneota now falls into the losers bracket and will play at 7 p.m. Friday in front of the home crowd in Minneota. They will play Dawson, an 8-0 loser to Granite Falls. BOLD will play the 5 p.m. game that day against Granite Falls.
NO-HITTER: Granite Falls pitcher Hunter Wilke threw a seven-inning no-hitter against Dawson. “That was his first one,” said Coach Curt Kvam. Granite committed two errors and Wilke fanned three, walked one and hit a batter. But he also had the benefit of a double play.

MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Ben Skorczewski, ss 5 1 3 2; Josh Schuelke, 2b 5 0 2 0; Cooper VanOverbeke, lf 5 1 2 1; AJ Myhre, 1b-p 5 0 0 0; Carter Schuelke, c 3 1 1 0; Braeden Panka, 3b 4 0 0 0; Thor Fischer, p-1b 2 0 0 0;Tyler Gronke, cr 0 0 0 0; Jackson Esping, dh 4 1 1 0; Kaden Culver, rf 0 0 0 0; Jonah Gruenes, cf 3 1 1 1. Totals 36 5 10 4.
BOLD (AB-R-H-RBI) Avery Herding, ss-p 5 1 1 0; Zeke Walton, c-ss 1 1 0 0; Adam Effering, p-c 4 1 2 2; Tim Peppel, 1b 3 1 1 1; Garet Pfarr, 3b 4 0 2 0; Eli Walton, lf 3 1 1 1; Elliot Hagen, rf 3 0 1 1; Ryan King, cf 4 0 2 1; Mason Uhlenkamp, 2b 4 0 0 0. Totals 31 6 10 6.
Score by Innings:
BOLD         203 000 01 — 6 10 3
Minneota    011 012 00 — 5 10 0
E-BOLD: Effering, Herding, Hagen. LOB-Minneota 10; BOLD 6. SB-Minneota: VanOverbeke, Josh Schuelke, Esping. SAC-BOLD: Walton. DP-Minneota 2-4 (3). 2B-Minneota: Skorczewski 2; BOLD: Effering,King.
Pitching        IP     R    ER     H     BB    K
Minneota
Fischer        3       5     5       7      1        2
Myhre (L)    5       1     1       3      2        7
BOLD
Effering        6       5      2       9     2        7
Herding (W) 2       0      0       1     3        3
HP-Walton (by Myhre; Hagen (by Fischer). WP-Fischer; PB-Effering.