Mudhens succumb to Chokio in 11 innings

Sometimes it's easier to accept a blowout loss than a tough one-run loss in which you analyze every pitch and every play to determine why you lost.
The Minneota Mudhens can attest to that.
"We hit the ball hard all day, but we just couldn't get any clutch hits when we needed to," said Mudhens player/manager Tyson Sonnenburg following the team's 3-2 loss to the Chokio Coyotes in the Region 9C elimination game on Sunday in Rosen.
The Mudhens finished the COVID-19 shortened season with an 11-6 record.
The game was slated for Saturday, but high winds and heavy rain forced the postponement until Sunday.
Minneota got on the board first when Sonnenburg singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Austin Buysse and to third on a single by Alex Pohlen. Sonnenburg then scored on a groundout by Austin DeVlaeminck for a 1-0 lead.
Chokio moved in front 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning before the Mudhens knotted the game 2-2 in the last of the seventh. DeVlaeminck and Danny Hennen each singled and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Brock Buysse. Jake Leighton's single then plated DeVlaeminck.
Peyton Nuy started on the mound for the Mudhens and allowed only four hits and two runs over seven innings. Zach Nuy relieved and pitched strong until Chokio scored the eventual winning run in the top of the 11th inning on a double, a sacrifice and a bloop single.
Adam Durfee then entered and escaped further damage by getting a strikeout and enticing a popout to end the inning.
The Mudhens got two runners on in the bottom of the inning on consecutive Chokio errors. With the tying run on third and the winning run on second following another sacrifice bunt by Brock Buysse, the Mudhens came up short on a popup and a groundout.
Minneota and Chokio also went 11 innings in a Land O' Ducks game on June 28 that the Mudhens ended up winning 5-3.

Minneota hitting: Jake Leighton 2-for-6, 2b; Adam Durfee 2-for-5, bb; Tyson Sonnenburg 1-for-4, bb; Alex Pohlen 1-for-5; Austin DeVlaeminck 2-for-5, rbi; Danny Hennen 2-for-5, 2b.