Lac qui Parle Valley (Minnesota) 1 win from State; Morris, BOLD still alive in elimination brackets
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. -- With junior pitcher Ben Morken dialed in the Lac qui Parle Valley Eagles posted a 5-0 victory over the Windom Eagles on Saturday afternoon in the winner's bracket of the Section 3A baseball tournament.
The Eagles (15-9) won't play again until Thursday when they will have two chances to win one game to decide who goes on to the Class A Tournament. That game also is at Richter Park in Granite Falls.
Morken was never in trouble. He allowed a leadoff single to Windom's Andy Pfeffer in the first before retiring 10 Eagles in succession. Windom's only other hit was a double by Brandon Thongvivong in the fourth which was followed by a walk. A ground-out ended the frame and began a second streak of 10 straight retired by Morken to end the game.
"I had good defense behind me and we were really hitting the ball well," said Morken, who struck out 5 and walked just that one Windom batter.
Freshman Brandon Hill scored the only run Morken would need in the third inning. After a sac bunt by Austin Haas, another freshman, and a ground out Hill zipped in from third on a pickoff attempt by Windom pitcher Jake Holt.
The LQPV offense added 3 runs on 4 hits in the fifth. Catcher Preston Kraft single got in Colby Siegert and Dylan Erickson.
In the loser's bracket game that followed, Springfield (14-10) scrubbed Canby (15-3) by a 10-4 score. The Tigers play Windom (9-14) at Marshall on Tuesday, loser eliminated.
Morris/CA falls to New Ulm
The New Ulm Eagles (18-5) walloped the Morris/Chokio-Eagles 10-0 on Saturday at Legion Park in Marshall, the Tigers first set back in Section 3AA.
On Tuesday back in Marshall, Morris/CA (14-6) will meet Fairmont (21-3) in a game scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Fairmont took out Marshall 5-4 in 8 innings in the elimination bracket. The Fairmont vs. MCA winner advances to play New Ulm on Thursday.
BOLD wins 2 to stay live
At Mankato's Franklin-Rodgers Field in the 2A Elimination bracket, the Bold Warriors (20-4) of Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian took out Waterville-Elysian (15-6) and then United South Central (11-11) 5-0 on Saturday. The Warriors now face New Ulm Cathedral (17-5) at Franklin on Tuesday needing back-to-back-wins to reach State.
