Vultures 3rd in Perham tourney
The Minneota Vultures Junior Legion won two of three games at the Perham Invitational and placed third among eight teams on Saturday and Sunday.
Isaac Pohlen went 8-for-10 with four RBI and five runs scored in the three games for the Vultures (6-3). Ryan Dalager went 5-for-11.
"I thought the boys played really well all weekend," said Vultures coach J.D. Pesch. "Offensively, we put the ball in play and hit the ball and executed bunts well all weekend. Defensively, we were solid."
Minneota started out with an 11-3 win over Fargo 6LS, fell to Duluth 8-4 in the semifinals, then won a 2-1 thriller over Perham in the third-place game.
The Vultures had 35 hits in the three games.
QUARTERFINALS
Minneota 11, Fargo 6LS 3
Isaac Pohlen went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs to spark the Vultures in the tournament opener. Ryan Meagher had three hits and drove in two runs.
Ryan Dalager earned the win, hurling the first 5 1/3 innings and giving up four hits and two earned runs, while walking five and striking out eight. Jack Lacek tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Pohlen knocked in a run with a double in the first inning, then had RBI singles in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Meagher had a two-run single in the fifth.
Ryan Dalager, Adam Dalager and Parker Bradley had two hits apiece.
MINNEOTA 11, FARGO 3
Fargo 6LS..............................................................120 000 0 - 3 6 1
Minneota.................................................................310 250 x - 11 16 3
Minneota hitting: Ryan Dalager 2-for-3, run, bb; Brody Larson 0-for-2, bb, rbi; Isaac Pohlen 4-for-4, 3 runs, 2b, 4 rbi; Ryan Meagher 3-for-4, 2 rbi; Adam Dalager 2-for-4; Parker Bradley 2-for-4, run, rbi; Carson Javers 1-for-3; Kyson Arndt 0-for-1; Eli Gruenes 1-for-3, run, rbi; Joe Voit 0-for-0, bb; Jack Lacek 1-for-2, 2 runs, bb; Joey Lacek 0-for-1, 2 runs; Kellen Bradley 0-for-0, run
Minneota pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Ryan Dalager (W) 5 1/3-4-3-2-5-8, Jack Lacek 1 2/3-2-0-0-1-0
SEMIFINALS
Duluth 8, Minneota 4
Duluth blocked the Vultures' path to the finals, highlighted by a three-run third inning and a four-run fifth.
The Vultures chalked up nine hits, including two each from Ryan Dalager, Brody Larson and Isaac Pohlen.
Dalager rapped a two-run triple in the seventh inning, scoring Eli Gruenes and Jack Lacek, who both reached on singles.
Lacek absorbed the loss for the Vultures.
DULUTH 8, MINNEOTA 4
Duluth.......................................................................003 041 0 - 8 10 0
Minneota...................................................................100 000 3 - 4 9 0
Minneota hitting: Ryan Dalager 2-for-4, run, 3b, 2 rbi; Brody Larson Isaac Pohlen 2-for-4; Ryan Meagher 1-for-4; Adam Dalager 0-for-2, bb; Parker Bradley 0-for-2, bb; Keaton Jurrens 0-for-2, bb; Eli Gruenes 1-for-2, run; Jack Lacek 1-for-3, run
Minneota pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Jack Lacek (L) 4-7-4-3-1-2, Brody Larson 3-4-3-3-5-5
THIRD PLACE
Minneota 2, Perham 1
Jack Lacek singled home the eventual winning run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Ryan Meagher pitched a complete-game six-hitter with five strikeouts.
Both teams scored a lone run in the first inning. The Vultures' run came when Isaac Pohlen singled with two outs, moved to second on a single by Ryan Meagher, stole third, and scored on Adam Dalager's single.
With two outs in the sixth, Keaton Jurrens walked and Eli Gruenes singled him to second. Lacek then singled to score Jurrens and give the Vultures the lead.
Pohlen and Carson Javers had two hits each for the Vultures, who finished with 10 hits.
MINNEOTA 2, PERHAM 1
Perham....................................................................100 000 0 - 1 6 0
Minneota.................................................................100 001 x - 2 10 1
Minneota hitting: Ryan Dalager 1-for-4; Brody Larson 1-for-2, bb; Isaac Pohlen 2-for-2, run, bb; Ryan Meagher 1-for-3; Adam Dalager 1-for-2, run; Kyson Arndt 0-for-0, bb; Carson Javers 2-for-3; Keaton Jurrens 0-for-2, run, bb; Eli Gruenes 1-for-3; Jack Lacek 1-for-2, rbi
Minneota pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Ryan Meagher (W) 7-6-1-1-2-5
**************************************
Tracy 15, Minneota 5
(Result Monday June 27)
Tracy invoked the 10-run rule with an eight-run fifth inning.
Minneota had 10 hits in the loss, including two each from Parker Bradley and Jack Lacek. Eli Gruenes rapped a two-run double.
Minneota.......................................................................201 20 - 5 10 2
Tracy.............................................................................205 08 - 15 17 3
Minneota hitting: Ryan Dalager 1-for-3, bb; Brody Larson 1-for-2, 2 runs, bb; Isaac Pohlen 1-for-3; Ryan Meagher 1-for-2, run; Adam Dalager 0-for-2; Kyson Arndt 0-for-1; Eli Gruenes 1-for-1, 2b, 2 rbi; Joey Lacek 0-for-2, run; Keaton Jurrens 1-for-3; Parker Bradley 2-for-3, 2b; Jack Lacek 2-for-3, run
Minneota pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Adam Dalager (L) 2 2/3-5-6-4-6-3, Parker Bradley 1 2/3-11-9-8-2-3, Keaton Jurrens 1/3-1-0-0-0-0