By Ryan Simonson
Contributing Writer
When Nick Zezulka stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter with one out and St. Anthony trailing Chaska 6-3, it felt like the Hogs were conceding. Chaska had been firmly in control of the game since taking a 4-3 lead in the second inning and looked to be cruising to victory. The small-statured Hogs’ mainstay was making his first appearance in the game and the #3 seeded squad out of Section 7 seemed to have lost all momentum. Zezulka promptly banged a sharp single into the outfield grass and hustled to take second base on defensive indifference.
When he came up a second time in the ninth inning and smashed a two-RBI double to plate the Hogs’ seventh and eighth runs of the inning, the Cubs were noticeably less indifferent. In the blink of an eye, the never-say-die Hogs had turned a three-run deficit into a five-run advantage and the Chaska faithful were filing into the parking lot.
St. Anthony drew first blood in the game’s opening frame when a Noah Bluth double drove in Bennet Wiggins, but Chaska would answer back in the bottom of the first with an Alex Twenge sacrifice fly and Maddox Foss hit scoring two runs.
The Hogs and Cubs would each add two more runs in the second inning, and the Cubs led 4-3 until they scored another run on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice play to extend their lead to 5-3. Another Cubs run crossed the plate in the sixth when a Justin Johnson single scored Patrick Fontaine to extend their lead to 6-3.
Fast-forward to the top of the ninth inning. After the Cubs retired St. Anthony’s leadoff hitter, Zezulka was brought in to pinch hit for Jordan Wiggins and sliced a sharp single. Several hits, two hit batsmen, and two pitching changes later, the Hogs were heading into the bottom of the ninth with a five-run lead.
When asked about his role in sparking the comeback, Zezulka was typically modest: “From a personal perspective, I knew coming into the game that I wasn’t going to be starting and to be ready later in the game, because we have three very, very solid outfielders. The whole mentality going in was to be ready when I’m up – and that happened to be twice in the ninth inning…”
With the improbable victory, the tenacious Hogs advance to face the winner of St. Louis Park and Dundas on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 1:30pm in Jordan.
Champlin Park LoGators 12, St. Paul Hops 2
The LoGators appeared poised to get on the board early after a Sam Riola leadoff double and Tate Wallet single. But after Riola was called out on a bizarre play in which third base became dislodged as he rounded it, Champlin failed to score until catcher Clarke Peterson drove an RBI double into the gap for a 1-0 lead.
The Hops took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning as Sam Warren was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Teddy Tauer pushed a run across on a fielder’s choice.
The LoGators responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, three in the fifth, and another in the sixth by stringing together hits up and down the lineup and taking advantage of eight walks by the Hops’ staff.
Entering the bottom of the eighth inning leading 9-2, Champlin Park strung together three consecutive extra base hits and scored their twelfth run on a Ryan Bruns ground ball to end the game by 10-run rule.
Tyler Reichenborn led the Gators with 4 hits (2 doubles), 2 RBI, and scored 3 runs.
The LoGators advance to face the winner of the Minneapolis Cobras and Elko on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 11 a.m. in Jordan.
Eagan Bandits 5, Stockmen’s Irish 4
The Bandits scored two runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to stun the top-seeded Irish in a wild affair. Stockmen’s led most of the way, but could not put enough distance between themselves and the plucky Bandits and exits the 2024 state tournament in the opening weekend.
Bryce Hingst started the scoring for the Irish with an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning to give Stockmen’s a 1-0 lead which would hold until the fifth inning when a Joe Silversmith single scored two and extended the lead to 3-0.
Eagan scored two in the sixth on a Luke Dahl single, and added one in the seventh to briefly tie the game 3-3, but the Irish scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to go back in front 4-3.
After a scoreless eighth, Eagan worked a pair of walks that both scored on successive two-out singles to put the Bandits in front 5-4, which would be the game’s final tally.
Eagan advances to play the Minnetonka Monarchs on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 1:30 p.m. in Belle Plaine.
Minnetonka Monarchs 7, Cold Spring Springers 3
This first round matchup of two traditional Class B powerhouses began as a low scoring affair with starting pitchers Beck Loesch and Jake Marsh cruising through the fist two frames. The newly re-monickered Monarchs (Formerly the Minnetonka Millers) got on the board first on a Blaine Rutledge RBI single in the top of the third inning.
The Springers answered back in the bottom of the third, with Nick Penick scoring in a close play at plate on a Brad Olson single, but a four-run fourth inning by the Monarchs would put them in control for good with half the damage coming from a Griffin Schneider two-run homer, which chased Loesch and brought Zach Femrite to the mound for Cold Spring.
A Minnetonka error in the sixth and a Joe Dempsey homer would bring the game within reach for the Springers, but they were never able to catch the Monarchs, who walked away from Shakopee with a 7-3 victory.
The Monarchs advance to play the Eagan Bandits on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 1:30 p.m. in Belle Plaine.
