The Brookings Post 74 Bandits American Legion Baseball team won four of its five games last weekend, finishing as a runner-up at the Jim Peterson Fargo-Moorhead Invitational.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, below, or purchase a new subscription.
Please log in to continue |
FARGO, N.D. — The Brookings Post 74 Bandits American Legion Baseball team won four of its five games this past weekend, finishing as a runner-up at the Jim Peterson Fargo-Moorhead Invitational.
The Bandits improved to 12-14 on the season and will host Huron for a doubleheader at Bob Shelden Field on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
A two-run rally in the top of the seventh inning helped the Bandits come from behind and defeat the Governors on Friday night.
Brookings jumped ahead early, loading the bases with walks by Tate Helmbolt, Breck Hirrschoff and Zach Struck in the top of the first inning. Addison Ronning delivered with a two-out, two-run single to put the Bandits on the board and Struck scored on an error to give Brookings a 3-0 lead.
Bismarck scored a run on an error in the bottom of the third inning and cut the lead to 3-2 on Gavin Lill’s groundout in the bottom of the fifth. The Governors mounted another rally in the bottom of the seventh, using singles by Isaac Mitchell and Jace Groseclose to put runners on the corners and used an RBI single by Eli Thompson and a run on a wild pitch to take a 4-3 lead.
Helmbolt grounded out for the first out of the inning but Breck Hirrschoff got a rally started with a one-out double. Hirrschoff stole third base in the next at-bat and scored on an error by Thompson to tie the game and Schneider reached on a walk two pitches later.
With Schneider on first base, Struck lined a double into right field, allowing Schneider to score the go-ahead run. Austin Clark finished the game from there, allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits and a walk with three strikeouts to earn the complete game victory.
Ronning went 1-for-4 with a two-run single. Hirrschoff went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, a double and two runs scored. Schneider went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Struck went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, a run scored and an RBI. Tane Friedrich went 1-for-2 with a double. Sam Johnson went 1-for-3. Nolan Miles drew a walk.
The Bandits picked up their second win of the tournament, defeating St. Cloud on Saturday afternoon.
Brookings jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning after Helmbolt walked, Hirrschoff reached on an error and Schneider hit a single to load the bases. Miles drew a one-out walk to put the Bandits on the board and Hirrschoff scored on a wild pitch before David Brink delivered a sacrifice fly to put Brookings up 3-0.
The Bandits extended their lead in the top of the sixth. Miles began the rally with a one-out walk before Brink was hit by a pitch and Ronning loaded the bases with a single. Johnson cashed in with an RBI single to put Brookings up 4-0. After Jon Kahler popped up for the second out of the inning, Helmbolt drew a bases-loaded walk and Hirrschoff was hit by a pitch to give the Bandits a 6-0 lead.
That was enough run support for Tyson Antonen, whose lone blemish was a run scored on an error in the bottom of the sixth inning. Antonen pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and two walks with a strikeout to earn the win.
Miles drew two walks, stole a base, scored a run and drove in a run. Helmbolt drew three walks, scored a run and drove in a run. Schneider went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Brink went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Ronning went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Johnson went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Kahler went 1-for-3.
Schneider turned in an excellent effort on the mound, tossing a complete game in a 2-1 victory over Willmar on Saturday evening.
Schneider was dominant, allowing one earned run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts over seven innings and the Bandits gave him just enough support to pick up the win.
Willmar took an early lead when Tyler Madsen stole home in the top of the second inning but Brookings rallied in the bottom of the seventh.
Brink led off the inning with a single before Kahler replaced him on the basepaths after grounding into a fielder’s choice. Friedrich reached on an error that allowed Kahler to advance to third and Friedrich was replaced by Antonen, who stole second base as a pinch runner.
With two runners in scoring position, Jack Merritt did the rest, driving in Kahler and Antonen with a walk-off single.
Merritt went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Hirrschoff went 1-for-2 with a stolen base. Struck and Brink each went 1-for-3. Winston Plummer drew a walk.
The Bandits continued their run through the tournament by picking up an extra-inning win in the semifinals against Fargo on Sunday afternoon.
Runs were hard to come by in the game, but the Bandits broke through in the top of the fifth inning. Clark hit a one-out double to begin the threat and scored on a Helmbolt single to give Brookings a 1-0 lead.
Struck did his best to make sure the lead held up throwing all seven innings, but his one run allowed came on a Jordan Leininger squeeze play in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The game remained tied until the eighth inning when Clark was placed on second base to begin the inning. Helmbolt drew a one-out walk to put two runners on before Hirrschoff moved both runners over with a groundout and Clark scored on an error to give the Bandits a 2-1 lead.
Hirrschoff came in to close the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, setting Fargo down in order to secure the win and the tournament title.
Clark went 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Helmbolt went 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI. Ronning went 1-for-2. Miles drew two walks.
Struck also allowed six hits and four walks while striking out three batters.
The Stars jumped out to an early lead and held off a late Brookings rally as Rapid City won the championship game on Sunday afternoon.
The Stars scored three runs in the top of the first inning as Matthew Bryant scored on an error, Gus Werremeyer singled to drive in a run and Hudson Stein drew a bases-loaded walk. Rapid City extended its lead on a Hanson RBI single in the top of the fourth inning and scored two more runs on a single by Ashton Rinas and a passed ball in the top of the fifth.
Down 6-0, Brookings rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jase Bauer and Clark each drew one-out walks and Hirrschoff singled to load the bases with two outs. Schneider drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Bandits on the board and Struck drove in a run with a single to make it a 6-2 game.
Hirrschoff scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead down to 6-3 but Schneider recorded the final out on the basepaths to end the threat. It would be the closest Brookings got to closing the gap as the Stars went on to win the game and the tournament title.
Brink started the game and allowed five runs (three earned) on three hits and five walks with a strikeout over four innings. Helmbolt allowed a hit and an unearned run with a strikeout in the fifth inning and Will Conrad pitched two shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.
Hirrschoff went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Miles went 2-for-3. Helmbolt went 1-for-3. Clark went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Helmbolt went 1-for-3. Struck went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Schneider drew a walk with an RBI. Bauer drew a walk and scored a run. Merritt drew a walk.
