Three DRS League Teams Advance to Final Weekend of Town Ball

The Dakota-Rice-Scott League has advanced three of their four state qualifying teams to the final weekend of the Class C State Amateur Baseball Tournament.  The Region 3C Champion New Prague Orioles were the only team from the league to lose this weekend.

The regular shortened season DRS League Champion St. Patrick Irish crushed Region 5C Champion Rochester Roadrunners 10-1 Saturday in Springfield.  The game was tied at 1 after two innings.  The Irish then scored 3 runs in the third inning and erupted for 4 runs in the 7th to run away from the Roadrunners.

Rochester's 4 errors did not help their cause.  St. Patrick clubbed 10 hits to Rochester's 7.  Zach Seurer scattered 7 hits over 7 inning with one run allowed to pick up the win striking out 5 and walking 2 batters.  Phillip Garcia pitched the last two innings for the Irish with no hits, 1 strikeout, 1 walk.

St. Patrick collected 3 doubles in the game.  Catcher Matt Ambroz had 3 hits, 2 RBI.  Ryan Friedges two hits including a double.  Jack Friedges 2 hits with a double and Jordan Goracke 2 hits, a double and RBI.  Kyle Rhodus had 2 RBI.  Seth Ambroz and Dom Deluca each had a sacrifice fly RBI.

The Prior Lake Mudcats were the team that ousted the Faribault Lakers from the playoffs in Region 3C.  They advanced with a 2-1 win over the Kimball Express despite being outhit 10-5 in the extra inning game.  The visiting Mudcats scored the winning ruin the 12th inning.  Ben Morrison pitched 10 innings with 9 hits allowed, 1 unearned run, 9 strikeouts, 3 walks, 3 hit batters.

Alex Wattermann picked up the win for Prior Lake going the last two innings with 1 hit allowed.  He struck out 5 of 7 batters faced with no walks.  Jake Lehrer had 2 hits and a RBI to lead the offense.

Prior Lake will play Bemidji Saturday in Milroy at 3:00 p.m.  St. Patrick tangles with Carver Saturday at Noon in Milroy.

The Union Hill Bulldogs captured a 10 inning 23-1 win over the Lamberton Long Sox Friday night in Springfield.  Conrad Masberg threw the first seven innings of shutout ball.  He allowed just 4 hits, fanning 7 with 1 walk and 1 hit batter.

Masberg played his high school ball at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown then went to Winona State.  He has been an assistant baseball coach for Kenyon-Wanamingo.

Union Hill had 8 hits led by Adam Giesen with 3 hits and a RBI.  Jack Kreutzian had the other RBI hit.  The Bulldogs get to play Young America in Springfield Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

Region 6 Champion and defending State Champion Jordan crushed Lake Henry 11-2 to advance and play Fairmont Saturday at Noon in Springfield.  Region 6 second place finisher Gaylord lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Sartell.

The Class C State Amateur baseball champion will be decided 1:00 p.m. Monday in Springfield.

In Class B the Section 1B Redemption Round winning Miesville Mudhens are the only team left in the remaining 4 teams.

Next weekend begins the double elimination portion of the Class B State Amateur Baseball Tournament in Shakopee.

The Mudhens defeated Champlin Park 5-2 Saturday before falling to two time defending champion Chanhassen in a thrilling 2-1 game.  Chanhassen scored in the bottom of the second inning.  Miesville tied the game in the 7th before the Red Birds got the winning run in the 8th inning of the very tense game.

MIesville had 5 hits, Chanhassen 4 but it's the runs that win the game.

Deryk Marks threw 7 2/3 innings for the Mudhens allowing the two runs including a home run off the bat of Chanhassen catcher Ben Livorsi.  Marks allowed 4 hits, struck out 1 batter, walked 3.  Veteran Chris Olean threw to the last Chanhassen batter of the game and retired him.

Thomas Thompson got the win for Chanhassen and Chris Choles picked up a save.  The two combined for 5 strikeouts, 2 walks while allowing 5 hits in the game.

Chanhassen ended the Northfield Knights season on Friday with a 5-4 win

Miesville defeated Champlin Park 5-2 Saturday to get into the double elimination portion of the tournament.  The Mudhens scored 2 runs in the 4th and 3 runs in the 5th inning and held the LoGators to a 2 run 6th inning.

Miesville outhit Champlin Park 10-7.  Jacob Dickmeyer went the distance for the Mudhens scattering 7 hits with 1 earned run, 7 strikeouts, no walks.

Lake City graduate and former St. Olaf College baseball and football star Brian Sprout cranked a two run home run in the game for Miesville. Austin Ledoux also had two hits including a home run while collecting 2 RBI.  Nate Hammes added a RBI double.

In the other winner's bracket game Cold Spring scored a 6-5 ten inning win over the Moorhead Brewers.

Moorhead ended the Dundas Dukes season 5-1 Saturday night.  The Brewers outhit the Dukes 10-6 and got a terrific pitching performance by David Ernst and Cole Christensen combining for 8 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Chanhassen and Cold Spring play Friday night 7:30 p.m. with the winner waiting until Sunday at 1:00 p.m. to play the team that comes out of the loser's bracket.

Miesville and Moorhead play 1:00 p.m. Saturday.  The winner plays 4:00 p.m. against the loser of the Friday night game.  That winner will play the remaining unbeaten team in the Class B Tournament and would have to beat them twice to score the title.  It's happened more often then not in recent years.

Derek Albers threw the first 6 innings for Dundas to take the loss with just 2 earned runs allowed.  He struck out 5, walked 3 with 2 homers and a double given up.  Charlie Ruud pitched 2 innings with 4 hits allowed, 1 strikeout, 1 walk, 1 home run, 3 runs, 1 earned on his line.

Ruud is a Cannon Falls High School graduate who played at St. Olaf College in Northfield and also threw for the St. Paul Saints.  The former Pastor in Northfield now has a parish in the Twin Cities.