Rochester and Champlin Park to Clash for Class B State Title
The Minnesota Baseball Association Class B Tournament Championship table has been set.
The Rochester Royals will play the Champlin Park LoGators 7:30 Sunday night in Dundas.
The Royals have to be defeated twice for the LoGators to be state champions.
If Champlin Park wins Sunday night then the two teams would play Monday at 3:00 p.m. in Faribault for the Class B title.
Friday night Rochester defeated Champlin Park 3-0 while Miesville downed Blaine 6-1 in semifinals action.
Saturday Miesville action had the LoGators blanking Blaine 4-0 to end their season.
Then Rochester defeated Miesville 4-2 to get to the title game. Miesville had to play one of the hardest games a team can play in the competition.
The Mudhens were coming off a loss against a Champlin Park team that had some time to rest.
The LoGators prevailed 7-5 to advance to the title game against Rochester.
Miesville had outscored their three previous state tournament opponents 28-4. Champlin Park starting pitcher Will Whelan allowed 3 hits in 5 innings with 3 runs scoring. He walked 8, struck out 3.
The Mudhens took a 4-3 lead after the sixth inning. The LoGators got 2 runs in the 7th inning and 2 runs in the 8th to take a 7-4 lead.
In the top of the 7th Champlin Park scored two runs, then added 2 more in the top of the 8th inning.
Miesville scored a run in the 8th but could scratch out no more. Their dream of winning a state title at home was squashed.
The MudHens had 4 pitchers share the workload. Shannon Ahern started, allowing 2 hits over 3 innings including a home run by Logators catcher Ethan Mocchi.
Mocchi had 3 RBI in the game with a single also.
Jeff Heuer collected two hits with an RBI. Sam Riola had a pair of hits for an RBI and clubbed a triple. Shortstop Bryce Nelson smacked a pair of singles in the 10 hit Champlin Park attack.
Miesville finished the game with 8 hits. The LoGators were charged with 2 errors, Mudhens had 2 errors also.
In the Rochester winner's bracket 4-2 victory over Miesville Matteo Finocchi pitched a complete game allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
Quinn Kruger started on the hill for MIesville going the first 6 innings with 7 hits allowed, 4 runs, all earned, He walked 3, struck out 6.
Shannon Ahern threw the final 3 innings with 1 hit allowed and 3 strikeouts.
The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, added the other runs in the 5th inning.
Miesville had lone runs in the 6th and 9th before ending their season.
Drew Block clubbed a pair of hits including a double with 3 RBI for Rochester. Tate Meiners added two hits.
Nick Pearson had a RBI single for the Royals in their 8 hit attack.
No Mudhen had more than one hit. Joey Warner hit a solo home run. The other RBI was by Matt Van Der Bosch.
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