By Nick Gerhardt
Howard Lake scratched out a 3-1 win over Windom to keep its postseason hot streak going.
The Orphans scored three runs in the fourth inning and held on to land a spot in the final eight of Class C.
Jake Gruenhagen scored on a wild pitch from third base to take a 1-0 lead, then Cole Macziewski drove in two runs with a base hit as Garrett Zander and Noah Bush crossed the plate for a 3-0 lead.
It stayed that way until the sixth inning when Pirates second baseman Keenan Wenzel hit a solo home run to left field.
Windom came into the game with a gaudy 24-1 record but couldn’t solve Howard Lake starter Jared Koch. He kept the Pirates off-balance and went 7 ⅓ innings, allowing six hits. He walked now and struck out two on 81 pitches.
Dassel-Cokato draftee Jordan Flick came on in the eighth with two runners on and one out. He started a double play on a comeback with his first pitch of the game. He closed out the ninth without allowing a hit and got a strikeout to end the game.
Howard Lake chased Windom starter Luke Gilbertson after four innings. Gilbertson allowed three runs on four hits, walked one and struck out two. Collin Lovell threw the final five innings and held the Orphans scoreless. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out four.
Howard Lake moves on to face the Pierz Lakers Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Hutchinson.
Regal 3, Waterville 1
It was a game of small ball throughout between Regal and Waterville with the Eagles picking up a 3-1 win on a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the eighth inning.
In a 1-1 game, Regal’s Jordan Wosmek singled to lead off the eighth and Brayden Skindelien reached on a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, Bennett Schultz got intentionally walked to bring Nathan Meyer to the plate, who got hit by a pitch to score Wosmek for the go-ahead run.
Waterville took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a Bladyn Bartelt sacrifice bunt that scored Ben Boran, who led off with a single and moved to third after a bunt and a single.
The Eagles tied the game in the sixth after Luke Knudsen tripled to right field and scored on a Meyer ground out.
Skindelien singled in the ninth to make it 3-1 and scored pinch runner Jordan Beier, running for Josh Beier, who led off the inning with a base hit. An error in left field allowed him to reach second base and a bunt moved him to third.
Regal starting pitcher Gabe Rohman limited Waterville to one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out nine, including an immaculate inning in the eighth, to send the Eagles through to the final eight. Skindelien closed the game out with ⅔ of an inning. He walked one and struck out two, leaving Waterville runners on first and second.
Skindelien went 2-for-4 at the plate and Wosmek finished 2-for-3.
Waterville got two hits from Dalton Grose. Dallas McBroom threw eight innings for the Indians and allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out six.
The Eagles will face the Le Sueur Braves Saturday, Aug. 30 at 1:30 p.m. in Hutchinson.
Pierz Lakers 9, Courtland 0
The Pierz Lakers took down No. 1-ranked Courtland behind a big second inning for a 9-0 victory to move to the final eight of the Class C state tournament.
The No. 5-ranked Lakers sent 13 hitters to the plate, including the first six before the Cubs recorded an out. Kamden Happke drove in two runs with a base hit and Kolten Happke followed with a double to score two runs. A squeeze bunt from Chase Becker brought in another run while Preston Rocheleau and Carter Petron each drove in runs as part of an eight-run inning.
Chmielewski, a former Southwest Minnesota State University left-handed pitcher, moved over to the Lakers this season from the Foley Lumberjacks, who defeated No. 1-ranked Jordan 4-0 in the Class B state tournament. His connection with SMSU teammates Noah Cekalla, Carter Petron and Brady Petron helped fuel the move. Chmielewski has emerged as the ace for Pierz this season.
“It was talked about a little last year and it picked up in the winter,” Pierz Lakers manager Nate Janson said. “It’s nice to have him, he’s a great addition.”
He threw seven shutout innings of three-hit ball. He walked one and struck out three.
The matchup could’ve been a preview of a future Mustang alumni game. Courtland’s lineup included two former SMSU players in Ansen Dulas and Chase Meyer, and one current player in Carter Lang.
“They kind of had fun with it, they were hugging each other on the field after the game,” Janson said.
Cekalla came on in relief in the eighth and didn’t allow a hit. He walked one and struck out three.
The Lakers have gone 15-1 this season and picked up another run in the sixth inning off a Cekalla RBI single to score Becker. Kamden Happke finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
“Pitching and defense, we preach it,” Janson said. “Even back when we were the Lastrup Lakers, it’s always been pitching and defense. If you don’t make errors, don’t walk people, you don’t give free outs, you’re a tough team to beat usually.”
Pierz moves on to face the winner of Howard Lake-Windom Saturday, Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m. in Hutchinson.
