Minneota Mudhens' season ends too soon

It wasn't supposed to end like this ... but in sports, the best team doesn't always win. If that was the case, there would be no need to have competitions.
Sometimes the outcome is decided due to several factors besides athleticism or talent: who gives the best effort, weather/field conditions, injuries/illness, officiating, or who catches the most breaks.
The Minneota Mudhens, who finished 11-6 this season, had to deal with several of those factors in the Region 9C amateur baseball playoffs; especially the disappointing 3-2 loss in 11 innings to the Chokio Coyotes on Aug. 9 in Rosen.
Minneota had high hopes entering the season. After a successful 2019 season in which they narrowly missing a berth in their first-ever town team state tournament, the Mudhens returned nearly its entire lineup back this season. Power-hitting Adam Durfee missed nearly the entire season in 2019 with an injury, returned this season.
But things just didn't quite click the way the team expected during a COVID-shortened season. Although all the teams faced the same late start and shortened season, the Mudhens had trouble filling out a consistent lineup due to injuries or personal commitments. Several players on the team now live in South Dakota and had to commute a long distance for games.
"I look at our lineup and when everyone is there, we are solid one through nine in the order," said player/manager Tyson Sonnenburg. "But we didn't have a full lineup very often and had to rely on some younger players. Not that they didn't do a nice job for us, because they did. But we often seemed to be missing one or more of our top hitters. All of our (Land O' Ducks) league losses this year came when we were short-handed."
That wasn't necessarily the reason for the season-ending loss to Chokio, however. Other intangibles came into play in that contest.
"We hit the ball hard all day," said Sonnenburg. "We outhit (Chokio), but there was a stiff wind blowing in from left field and held up a couple of hits that would have been home runs."
In the seventh inning, the Mudhens had the bases loaded with Durfee and Sonnenburg, the No. 3 and 4 hitters, due up. On a full count, Durfee was called out on a pitch well up in the strike zone, and the Chokio left fielder made a diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Sonnenburg to erase the potential rally.
In the ninth inning with the score tied 2-2, Sonnenburg was on second base representing the go-ahead run when Alex Pohlen lofted a deep fly ball to left field that was caught against the fence.
"That would have been a home run on most days," Sonnenburg insisted.
The Mudhens had the bases loaded in the top of the 11th inning with one out and two of their top hitters scheduled to bat; Jake Leighton and Durfee.
"I thought we would score for sure with those two up," Sonnenburg said.
Leighton popped up and Durfee grounded out to end the game.
"More often than not, they would have drove in runs like they have all year," Sonnenburg said. "It just didn't happen this day. We had so many chances and everything just worked against us."
In the home half of the 11th, Chokio put the potential winning run on third base with one out and the Mudhens pulled their infield in to cut down the runner at the plate in case of a ground ball.
But the Chokio batter was jammed on the pitch and blooped a single off the handle of his bat that carried just over the outstretched arm of the Mudhens' second baseman to drive in the winning run. Had the infield been at normal depth, an out would have been recorded.
Most of the Mudhens players have indicated they would like to return next season.
"I'd like to see what happens with this team in a full season," said Sonnenburg. "We are a close group. We golf together and hang out together outside of baseball."
Sonnenburg also said there is one more thing that could help the team avoid a repeat of this season.
"I think I need to be on the high school hiring staff. When I interviewed people for a teaching job, I'd ask them if they play baseball and what position they play and how hard they throw before I hire them," Sonnenburg joked.