WILLMAR - The Alexandria 16s scored on an error in the eighth inning and held Willmar to four hits to post a 5-4 win in the loser’s bracket final on Sunday evening in the District 5 VFW Baseball Tournament.
Only Noah Streed and Tyler Johnson had hits for Willmar as both singled twice in Post 1639’s final game of the season. Willmar finishes the season 25-11.
After Alexandria scored in the top half of the eighth, Blake Anderson sent Willmar down 1-2-3 on just 14 pitches to cap a complete-game victory.
Johnson scored on a double-steal attempt in the Willmar first and Braden Sunder scored on an error in the third for Willmar. Alexandria had taken a 3-1 lead in the top half of the third.
Willmar pulled ahead in the fifth when Streed hit a two-out double and scored on a Johnson single, and Johnson scored on an error.
ADVERTISEMENT
Alexandria tied the game at 4-4 when Mack Strong hit an RBI single in the seventh to cap a 3-for-4 performance.
Willmar reached the loser’s bracket final by thrashing Dawson 16-2 earlier Sunday.
Eleven players got at least one hit for Willmar as the tournament host collected 15 for the game. Dalton Rambow was 3-for-5 to drive in four runs and Sunder also knocked in four runs.
Alexandria 16’s 5, Willmar 4
Alex 16 012 000 11 - 5 8 3
Willmar 101 020 00 - 4 4 2
HITTING – Alexandria 16: Mack Strong 3-4 r rbi-2 … Willmar: Noah Streed 2-4 2b r, Tyler Johnson 2-3 r-2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Alexandria 16: Blake Anderson (W) 8-4-4-2-4-3 … Willmar: Dalton Rambow 3-4-3-2-3-3, Caleb Ditmarson 3.1-3-0-0-0-2, Grant Bangen (L) 1.2-1-2-1-1-1
ADVERTISEMENT
Willmar 16, Dawson 2
Willmar 001 460 5 - 16 15 4
Dawson 200 000 0 - 2 6 8
HITTING – Willmar: Braden Sunder 1-2 bb-2 3b r-2 rbi-4, Streed 2-5 rbi, Johnson 1-3 bb-2 r-2 rbi-2, Rambow 3-5 r rbi-4, Jack Baumgart 1-4, Jon Broman 1-5 3b r-2 rbi, Bangen 1-3 r-2 rbi, Avery Smith 1-2 r rbi, Zak Madsen 1-3 r rbi, Kaden Kessler-Gross 1-1 bb-2 r-3, Collin Christianson 2-2 r rbi … Dawson: Lucas Aldwine 2-4 r, Braden Thompson 1-4 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Willmar: Brandon Elseth (W) 4-4-2-2-0-5, Ditmarson 2-0-0-0-0-4, Brady Bauman 1-2-0-0-0-1 … Dawson: Nick Thompson (L) 3.2-3-5-1-4-2, Braxton Thompson 0.1-3-5-5-2-0, Alex Swenson 2.1-6-5-4-1-2, Sam Adelman 0.2-3-1-0-0-0-0
RESULT SATURDAY
Willmar 13, Alexandria 15’s 1
Willmar scored four times in the third to take a 5-1 lead before ending the elimination game early by scoring seven times in the fifth.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sunder tripled and singled, scored three times and drove in three runs to ignite Willmar. Johnson and Jon Broman both added two hits, while Johnson also picked up the win by throwing a complete game with six strikeouts.
Willmar 104 17 - 13 12 2
Alex 15 010 00 - 1 6 2
HITTING – Willmar: Sunder 2-3 3b r-3 rbi-3, Streed 1-3 r rbi-2, Johnson 2-4 r, Rambow 1-3 rbi r, Baumgart 1-3 r, Broman 2-3 2b r, Bangen 1-1 rbi r, Madsen 1-2 r rbi, Kessler-Gross 1-1 r-3 … Alexandria 15: n/a
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Willmar: Johnson (W) 5-6-1-0-3-6 … Alexandria 15: n/a
