Wildness pushes Vikings out of playoffs
What started out so very promising, ended in disaster Wednesday night at Granite Falls.
The Minneota Vikings were bounced from the baseball playoffs, 5-4 after pitchers surrendered eight walks and walked home three runs in the third.
"We had two seniors who couldn't find the plate," said Assistant Coach J.D. Pesch.
Landon Rolbiecki left with the bases loaded and the game tied, 2-2 in the third. Sam Buysse came on and walked three straight batters, forcing in what became the winning runs.
Minneota came back for two runs int he third on a two-run single by AJ Myhre, that Lac qui Parle Valley went to Eean Allpress in relief of Caden Bjornjeld and the Vikings never threatened again. Wyatt Halvorson came on to get the final out and end the game for the Eagles.
LQPV only got five hits, two by Bjornjeld and three by Dain Haas. Minneota had six hits, but it was those eight walks that destroyed them. Rolbiecki had a long double in the first to knock in a run and Jaymes Moon singles him home and Austin Sorensen had a single.
Pesch pitched pretty well in relief, going over three innings, allowing one hit while wallking two and striking out four.
LQPV moved on to play Kerkhoven-M-S in the section 3A Finals on Thursday. Minneota, which went 3-2 in the section tournament, ended the year 12-7.
MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Thomas Hennen, ss 4 1 0 0; Sam Buysse, cf-p 3 1 0 0; Teddy Pesch, 2b-p 3 0 1 0; Landon Rolbiecki, p-lf 3 1 1 1; Jaymes Moon, lf-cf-c 3 0 1 1; Austin Sorensen, 1b Tate Walerius, dh 2 1 0 0; Cole Sanow, rf 0 0 0 0; Josh Laleman, 3b 2 0 0 0; Carter Schuelke, c 1 0 0 0; AJ Myhre 2 0 1 2. Totals 26 4 6 4.
LQPV (AB-R-H-RBI) Eean Allpress, cf-p 4 0 0 0; Caden Bjorjeld, p-cf 4 1 2 0; Dain Haas, 1b 3 1 3 0; Taylor Droogsma, b 2 0 1 0; Clark, ph 2 1 0 0; Brett Baldwin, c 2 1 0 1; Trevor Gearman, dh 2 0 0 1; Wittnebel, lf 0 0 0 0; Fernholz, r 2 0 0 0; Wyatt Halverson, 2b-p 0 0 0 1; Carter Amland, ss 2 0 0 0; T. Lindner, ph 1 0 0 0. Totals 23 5 5 3.
Score by Innings
Minneota 200 200 0 — 4 6 0
LQPV 203 000 x — 5 5 2
E-LQPV: Amland, Wittnebel. LOB-Minneota: 4 LQPV 8. SB: LQPV: Halverson. SAC-Minneota: Buysse. 2B-Minneota: Rolbiecki; LQPV-Haas.
Pitching IP R ER H BB K
Rolbiecki (L) 2.1 5 5 4 3 2
S. Buysse 0 0 0 0 3 0
Pesch 3.1 0 0 1 2 4
LQPV
Bjornjeld (W) 4 4 2 6 2 0
Allpress 2.2 0 0 0 0 3
Halverson (S) .1 0 0 0 0 0
WP-Bjornjeld; HP-Baldwin (by Rolbiecki).