Wanamingo and Cannon Falls End Their Seasons One Game from State

The Wanamingo Jacks were bitten by the Stewartville/Racine Sharks and the Cannon Falls Bears flushed by the Minnesota Lake Royals in games that determined a State Amateur Baseball Tournament berth.

Wanamingo had their way with an undermanned Dodge County Diamondbacks team 9-2 in their first game Saturday.

Wanamingo Manager Aaron Bauer told KDHL before the game his ace pitcher Alex Roosen told him his arm didn't feel right so he couldn't pitch. With that in mind the pitching plans had to change for the day.

Derek Greseth started the game and Kirby Vandewalker pitched the last three innings of the game.

Wanamingo lead-off hitter Erik Swiggum started the Jacks scoring in the bottom of the first with a full county no-doubt home run that was followed by a single by Peder Sviggum. Sviggum was thrown out trying to steal second before a fly out and pop out to end the first inning.

Wanamingo up 1-0.

Dodge County would answer with their only runs in the third inning.

After a ground out, Kyle Nichols was walked and the next batter flew out to bring No. 3 hitter Jayden Prigge to the plate with two outs and a runner at first. Prigge jumped on the first pitch he saw and clubbed a two run homer to put Dodge County up 2-1.

Wanmingo did answer in the bottom of the third with a run to tie the game .

After a pop out, No. 9 hitter Gavin Roosen hit a single to left field. He would steal second and a throwing error allowed him to advance to third base.

After a first pitch pop out to the pitcher, Peder Sviggum coaxed a four-pitch walk.

Alex Roosen hit a hard smash right to the third baseman, who couldn't handle it and Roosen scored the tying run on the error.

The Jacks would come up with thee more runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good after starting the inning with four consecutive hits.

Sam Roosen singled, Brady Anfinson had an RBI double, Andrew Anfinson singled and Jason Traynor collected an RBI single before a pop out to the pitcher for the first out.

The second out was recorded on a strikeout before Peder Sviggum stroked a RBI single.

When the half inning came to a close, the Jacks scored three runs on five hits.

Wanamingo added two runs in the seventh off Dodge County starting pitcher Sam Hinsch.

After a pop out to start the inning, Peder Sviggum had his third single of the day in front of a home run by Alex Roosen off a hanging breaking ball.

The Jacks added two Jim Sviggum Insurance Agency insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Traynor and Gavin Roosen were walked to start the inning. Erik Swiggum had a fielder's choice putting runners at the corners with one out. Peder Sviggum was walked for the second time to make it a perfect 5 for 5 on the basepaths.

Alex Roosen hit a deep fly ball that Traynor easily scored on for Roosen's third RBI of the game, and Erik Swiggum would close the scoring while crossing the plate on a wild pitch.

Derek Greseth threw six innings of six-hit ball, allowing a hit in each inning. He had two strikeouts and two walks while throwing 86 pitches, 55 for strikes, and was 16 of 27 in first-pitch strikes.

Kirby Vandewalker told his manager he wouldn't be at the first game due to a family commitment but would be in Owatonna for the second game if Wanamingo was in it.

Vandewalker got back early and took the hill in the seventh inning. He retired six straight batters before a lead off single in the ninth by Jordan Bale. That was followed by a walk to Hayden Sheeran.

The No. 9 hitter flew out to centerfield.

Kyle Nichols hit a single and Bale was held up at third base but Sheeran got caught rounding too far past second base and was thrown out by Swiggum for the second out.

Cole Krueger grounded out to end the game and Vandewalker finished in the last three innings with a very economical 32 pitches, 18 for strikes, with no strikeouts and one walk.  Two hits were allowed.

Tatge Jewelry Wanamingo players of the game were Greseth and Vandewalker for their pitching and the top three batters in the Jacks order of Erik Swiggum, Peder Sviggum and Alex Roosen.

They had a combined 15 at bats with five hits, two homers, five RBIs and four runs scored.

Wanamingo was the only team to defeat Stewartville/Racine during regular season Twin Rivers League play.

They did it twice, so I knew the Sharks would be focused and primed to play the Jacks for a state tournament berth.

Stewartville/Racine ran away with a 10-0 seven inning win to punch their ticket to state.

Noah "China" Grove started the game for Wanamingo and Tyler Schmitz for the Sharks.

Schmitz was clearly on his game but the Jacks were helping him out a bit with impatient at bats. The most pitches he threw in any inning was 15 while Grove had a 32-pitch first inning and 29-pitch second inniing.

The Sharks showed the patience of a, well, shark stalking it's prey.

The tone was set in the first at-bat of the bottom of the first when Schmitz flew out on the seventh pitch of his at-bat after working the count full.

Shane Mlenar singled on the first pitch. Then Sean Hohmeister walked and cleanup hitter Josh Denison had an RBI single. Jade Boettcher would single for Stewartville/Racine.

The infield was drawn in for the Jacks and Aaron Simmons hit a ball to first baseman Alex Roosen with the bases loaded and he threw home, but the ball skipped in the dirt and catcher Andrew Anfinson couldn't glove it so a second run scored.

Wanamingo was actually lucky to be down by just a 2-0 score after the first but Stewartville Racine would score two more in the second, four runs in the third and the final two in the sixth and seventh innings to end the game early via the 10-run rule.

Grove went two and a third innings and threw 70 pitches, 48 for strikes. He was 13 of 19 first-pitch strikes but the Sharks were still patient with him coaxing four walks, including one with the bases loaded while smacking seven hits.

Connor Sviggum threw to the next 14 batters and had two strikeouts while walking four more Sharks and giving up four hits. He tossed 50 pitches in just over two and a third innings, 28 for strikes. Like Grove, his first-pitch strikes were good, 12 of 14.

Kirby Vandewalker finished the Jacks' season on the hill throwing to the final six batters.  He threw 29 pitches, 20 strikes, and was 7 of 7 in first-pitch strikes.

Wanamingo finished their season with a 19-9 record.

Cannon Falls also lost their bid to go to state while hosting the Region 4C Tournament at picturesque John Burch Park.

Minnesota Lake defeated the Bears on Saturday to join Hampton and Blue Earth in representing the region at the state tournament in Hutchinson, Dassel and Litchfield.

In Region 3C, the fourth attempt to get the Montgomery versus Shakopee game in was a charm but was moved to Prior Lake on Saturday after unsuccessful tries in Montgomery on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday night.

Montgomery captured the win 5-4 and then played Prior Lake for the top seed. Prior Lake won Region 3C 5-3 over Montgomery.

So in the state tournament Prior Lake gets a first-round bye and the next three seeds out of Region 3C are in order, Montgomery, Shakopee and St. Benedict.