Saturday, May 31st.
Baseball.
Section 6AAAA Winners Bracket Final.
#1 Edina 6, #5 Buffalo 2. The Bison got off to a great start on Saturday at Parade Stadium, after a disastrous start for the Hornets. Edina committed three errors and hit two batters, leading to a 2-0 Bison lead after a half inning, but after that it was all Hornets. The two key plays of the game came on the defensive side for Edina. LF, Chase Bjorgaard threw out the go ahead run from left field in the 4th, and John McGrath threw out the tying run for Buffalo in the fifth. It was still a close game going into the bottom of the sixth, but Edina tacked on two more and cruised to the 6-2 win. Nolan Mullenbach and Cash Hourscht drove in the two Bison runs on back-to-back pitches that hit them with the bases loaded in the first. The Bison will now take on Wayzata Wednesday night in an elimination game.
Cash Hourscht, above, from Buffalo, attempts to turn a double play against Edina on Saturday.
Section 6AAA Winners Bracket Final.
#3 Delano 4, #1 Orono 3. The normally explosive Tigers offense only managed four hits on Saturday in Waconia, but it was enough to pick up the win and advance to the Section finals. Down 3-2 in the 4th, the Tigers plated two, then didn’t allow a run the rest of the game, and with the win are just one win away from going back to the state tournament for the second straight season.
Delano, above, gets ready to take the field before their game with Orono on Saturday.
Section 5AAA Elimination Bracket.
#6 Annandale 3, #4 St. Francis 2. St. Francis had already beaten Annandale once this season, and after scoring a run to go up 2-1 heading into the seventh it looked like the Cards season might be coming to an end, but the Cards rallied for a 3-2 win and kept their season alive with a road win on Saturday. Jack Newman led off with a single, Zach O’ Konek then hit a double over the right fielder’s head to tie the game. With one out, Luke Lindquist doubled off the left field wall, scoring Cooper Broman, and the Cards had the lead, 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. From there Lindquist recorded the final three outs to pick up the complete game win and advance the Cardinals to an elimination game on Tuesday in Princeton against Big Lake. Lindquist went 2-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs.
Zach O’ Konek, above, attempts to throw out a runner in the Cards, 3-2 win over St. Francis on Saturday.
Boys Lacrosse.
Section 2A Semifinals.
#2 Chanhassen 9, #3 Buffalo 6. Brady Kennedy netted three goals, and Henri Poulin stopped 16 of 22 shots in the nets, as the Storm advanced to the section finals with a win over the Bison.
Girls Lacrosse.
Section 2A Semifinals.
#1 Minnetonka 16, #5 Delano 1. The Tigers were no match for the #1 ranked team in the state as the Skippers ended the Tigers season on Saturday. Delano finished with a 12-3 record.
Addilyn Dietman, above, had a monster year for the Tigers, and she will be back next year. This year the Tigers reached the Section 2A semifinals before losing to #1 Minnetonka on Saturday.
Monday, June 1st.
Baseball.
Section 5AA Winners Bracket final.
#1 Glencoe Silver Lake 3, #6 Dassel-Cokato 2. The Chargers Cinderella run isn’t over yet, but the Panthers did knock them into the elimination finals with a close win on Monday at GSL. The Chargers will take on Providence on Tuesday night at 7 PM in Litchfield. If the Chargers win, they will advance to the finals to face the Panthers, where they would have to defeat them twice.
Softball.
Class AA State Tournament Quarterfinals.
#5 St. Cloud Cathedral 6, #4 Rockford 3. The Rockets got off to a quick start, jumping out to a 3-0 lead on the defending state champs thru three innings at Caswell Park in North Mankato on Tuesday afternoon, but the Crusaders had too much fire power in the end. Keira Alexander hit a grand slam in the fourth, giving SCC a 4-3, lead, then Tayla Vought hammered another home run an inning later and the Crusaders held on for the Quarterfinal win. Lauiren Egbert went 2-3 with a double and two RBIs in the loss for the Rockets.
Keira Alexander, above, hit the game turning grand slam in the fourth inning for the defending AA state champs from SCC, as the Crusaders advanced to the semifinals with a win over Rockford on Tuesday.
Girls Lacrosse.
Section 8A Semifinals.
#1 Buffalo 18, #4 Brainerd 4. The Bison cruised into the finals behind seven goals from Adellita Nelson. So far in the sections the Bison have outscored their two opponents, 38-7.
#3 STMA 11, #2 Elk River 10. The Knights pulled out the road win by the slightest of margins, setting up a section final match with their rivals from Buffalo on Thursday.
Boys Lacrosse.
#2 STMA 7, #3 Moorhead 3. The Knights shut down the Spuds on Tuesday, advancing to the Section finals.
Baseball.
Section 8AAAA.
Winner’s bracket final.
#4 Moorhead 6, #2 Monticello 1. For the second straight year, the Spuds are giving the top seeds, fits. After winning the Section as a five seed last year, the Spuds have already upset #1 seed STMA, and #2 seed Monticello on the road, putting Moorhead in the Section finals once again this year.
Elimination Bracket:
#1 STMA 8, #6 Alexandria 2. The Knights kept their hopes alive with a home win over the Cards on Tuesday.
Section 5AAA Elimination Bracket.
#2 Big Lake 2, #6 Annandale 0. The Hornets scored two runs in the first inning on two Cards errors and that would be all they needed to advance. Austin Politte had the only Cards hit in the seventh inning as their season came to an end. Lefty Jackson LaRoche struck out ten, while only allowing one hit in the complete game victory for Big Lake.
Boys Volleyball.
#2 STMA 3, #3 Rogers 0. The Knights got some revenge on the Royals, who beat them in the Section finals last year to advance to the Section finals for the second straight year. Trailing by four, late in the fourth set, the Knights caught fire and closed out the Royals at home on Tuesday night.
