Northfield Season Ends in Pitcher’s Duel

Air Freight Unlimited defeated the Northfield Knights 2-0 in Delano this morning.

It is the opening weekend of the Class B State Amateur Baseball Tournament.  The Knights downed defending State Champion Rochester to advance to State.

Graham Laubscher, lefty from Stillwater, threw a complete game, allowing 2 hits and no runners reached second  base for Northfield.

Cole Stanchina started for Northfield and kept his team in the game.  Air Freight Unlimited scored an unearned run in the first inning thanks to an error and added insurance in the seventh frame.

Stanchina struck out 8, walked 3, hit 2 batters while allowing 6 hits in 7 innings of work.  Jake Mathison pitched the 8th with 2 strikeouts in a three batters faced inning.

Matthew Enck, shortstop and lead batter in the order scored both runs.  The Edina native had 2 hits including a double.  He is listed as a junior on the St. Thomas University 2023 roster and played in nearly every game the past two seasons.

Charlie Bartholomew, catcher from Mahtomedi, had the only RBI of rhe game.  He is also a St. Thomas player listed as a junior on the 2023 roster.  Finished the season second on his team in batting average and RBI with 21 in 42 games.  Played 22 games as catcher, 17 at first base and two as designated hitter.

Laubscher struck out 13 batters, walked nobody while throwing to 2 batters over the minimum.

Air Freight Unlimited was Class A 2021 State Champions.

Laubscher came into the contest not allowing a single run in 49 innings pitched for Air Freight. He was the all-time strike out king in St. Thomas University baseball pitching history.

The Tommies are a NCAA Division 1 program that plays in the Summit League.

Air Freight Unlimited is now 23-1.  Northfield ended their season 13-15.

Air Freight Unlimited won the St. Paul League playoffs qualifying them for the State Tournament.

The Minnesota Baseball Association has wanted to expand Class B for a number of years.

This year's Class B Tournament has a number of traditional Class A teams in it.

• Minnetonka Millers
• St. Paul Mudhens
• Minneapolis Cobras
• Highland Park Beavers
• St. Anthony Hogs
• St. Paul Capitals
• Baseball 365
• Metro Knights
• Plymouth Hit Dawg
• Stockmen's Irish
• St. Louis Park Pirates
• Lyon's Pub Warriors
• Minneapolis Angels

In Friday Class B results:

Hopkins Berries blanked Chaska Cubs 3-0. (Berries have 3 former Minnesota Gophers on their team)  Game was played in Waconia.

Shakopee Indians over Plymouth 7-5.  Each team had 4 errors at the game played in Delano.  Indians had 10 hits, Hit Dawg 9 hits.