MITCHELL – The Alexandria Angels successfully defended their title with a 4-0 defeat of the Larchwood, Iowa, Diamonds to conclude the Class B State Amateur Baseball Tournament on Sunday at Cadwell Park.

The Angels were appearing in their fifth championship game in as many years. They won titles in 2013 (beat Winner-Colome 4-3) and 2016 (beat Garretson 7-1). They fell 4-1 to Wynot in the 2014 final and the Parkston Mudcats 4-1 in 2015.

Alexandria has won 23 of its 25 state tourney games since 2013, including 10 consecutively.

The Angels have outscored their opponents a combined 160-50 during the run, including 44-10 this season.

ALEXANDRIA ANGELS

TITLE-GAME APPEARANCES

Record: 3-2.

Scoring Margin: 160-50.

Win Streak: 10 (22 of 24 overall)

2013 – Champions, beat Winner-Colome 4-3

(27-6 scoring margin)

2014 – Runners-up, lost to Wynot 8-2

(31-13 scoring margin)

2015 – Runners-up, lost to Parkston Mudcats 4-3

(33-10 scoring margin)

2016 – Champions, beat Garretson 7-1

(35-11 scoring margin)

2017 – Champions, beat Larchwood, Iowa, 4-0

(44-10 scoring margin)

In Saturday’s semifinals, the Angels toppled Harrisburg 1-0 and the Diamonds beat Garretson 3-2.

Sunday

Championship

• Alexandria 4, Larchwood, Iowa, 0

Tyson Gau threw an eight-hit shutout – with nine strikeouts and zero walks – and also hit a home run as the Angels defended their crown.

Alexandra got on the board in the second.

Chris Marek and John Greicar both singled, and then advanced on Pierce Smith’s sacrifice bunt.

Reid Smith drove in Greicar with a sacrifice fly.

Tyson Gau hit a first-pitch homer with one out in the third.

In the fifth, Tyson Gau added an RBI single and then scored on Jordan Gau’s double to provide for the final margin.

Tyson Gau went 2-for-4 with the two RBIs.

Larchwood’s Chase Vander Feen and Brent Ripperda both collected a pair of hits.

Ryan Brasser took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. Jon Van Beek pitched 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, striking out two and walking one.

Note: Larchwood is now 1-4 in state finals all-time. The Diamonds beat Eureka 9-5 in the 1959 final. They lost to Renner 15-9 in 1963, Aberdeen Depot 6-5 in 1970 and Madison 17-16 in 1978.

ALEXANDRIA 4, LARCHWOOD, IOWA, 0

Larchwood                  000 000 000 – 0 8 1

Alexandria                   011 020 00x – 4 7 2

Ryan Brasser, Jon Van Beek (5) and Brent Ripperda; Tyson Gau and Chris Marek. W – Tyson Gau. L – Brasser. 2B: A, Jordan Gau. HR: A, Tyson Gau.

Saturday

Semifinals

• Alexandria 1, Harrisburg 0

Trever Vermeulen pitched another gem to outduel Aaron LaBrie and the Angels pushed across a run in the bottom of the eighth to pull out the win.

Vermeulen tossed a four-hit shutout and struck out 11 batters.

LaBrie was the tough-luck loser after surrendering just one run – unearned – on four hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.

Alexandria’s Pierce Smith, who finished 2-for-3, led off the bottom of the eighth with a single. Jerrod Jens then bunted and reached on an error. Peyton Smith was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Cole Wenande’s sacrifice fly plated Pierce Smith for the game’s only run.

LaBrie used a strikeout and a lineout to avoid further damage.

The Woodies had two runners reach third base in the game, including in the final frame.

Kyle Rozeboom led off the ninth with a single and Dalton Allen was hit by a pitch with one away. After Drew Sweeter hit into a fielder’s choice, Brody Kunzmann singled to load the bases.

However, Vermeulen struck out Brian Stoebner to end the threat.

Harrisburg also threatened in the fourth as Ryan Menssen, who went 2-for-4, doubled to lead off the inning. He advanced to third on a groundout – the second out of the inning – but Vermeulen again got out of the frame unscathed by striking out Kunzmann.

Alexandria’s Tyson Gau tripled to open the bottom of the fourth but was stranded. Jerrod Zens had the team’s other hit.

ALEXANDRIA 1, HARRISBURG 0

Harrisburg                   000 000 000 – 0 4 1

Alexandria                   000 000 01x – 1 4 0

Aaron LaBrie and Ryan Menssen; Trever Vermeulen and Chris Marek. W – Vermeulen. L – LaBrie. 2B: H, Menssen. 3B: A, Tyson Gau.

• Larchwood, Iowa, 3, Garretson 2

Patrick Sinnema and Jon Van Beek combined on a seven-hitter, and the Diamonds scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth to advance.

Van Beek gave up one run – unearned – on five hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts over the final four frames to earn the win.

Sinnema, the starter, allowed one run on two hits with five strikeouts over the first five innings.

Larchwood’s Nick Meisinger hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out in the top of the ninth. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and then sprinted home on Travis Feekes’ single to make it 3-2. Feekes finished the game 2-for-4.

The BlueJays’ Brett Fischer and Mike Stephenson had back-to-back two-out singles to put runners at the corners in the bottom of the third. Fischer scored on a wild pitch soon thereafter to put Garretson ahead 1-0.

In the eighth, Micah Linn, who went 2-for-4, had a one-out RBI triple and then scored on a Keaton Grevengoed double to put the Diamonds ahead 2-1.

Fischer walked to open the bottom of the eighth, stole second and scored on an error on Stephenson’s batted ball to pull Garretson even at 2-2.

Larchwood’s Koury Kramer went 2-for-5. Chase Vander Feen doubled, while Mitch Peschon and Brent Ripperda had the team’s other hits.

Garretson’s Sam Johnson finished 2-for-4.

Patrick Whetham took the loss after surrendering three runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and a walk in a complete-game effort.

LARCHWOOD, IOWA, 3, GARRETSON 2

Larchwood                  000 000 021 – 3 10 3

Garretson                   001 000 010 – 2   7 1

Patrick Sinnema, Jon Van Beek (6) and Brent Ripperda; Patrick Whetham and Brady Bonte. W – Van Beek. L – Whetham. 2B: L, Chase Vander Feen, Keaton Grevengoed. 3B: L, Micah Linn.