By Nick Gerhardt
Brandon Arnold won four straight Class B state championships with the Chanhassen Red Birds before joining the Jordan Brewers last season. He’s playing shortstop and batting leadoff for the Brewers, who are trying to become just the second team to claim a state title as a host site. The other team to accomplish the feat — the Jordan Brewers in 2004.
Arnold’s three-run home run in the third inning helped lift the Brewers to a 9-2 victory over Sauk Centre at the Mini Met in Jordan. The No. 1-ranked Brewers grabbed an 8-1 lead in the inning after six runs on three hits. Alex Beckman had a two-run single before Arnold hit a shot to left field in front of a crowd of 901.
Arnold, who teaches in the Jordan school district and is an assistant football coach, missed Jordan’s first game of the tournament last year due to a football game. This year, the Hubmen played their first game of the year Thursday.
“Last night we were sitting there and it was raining, we were like, ‘We’re going to have another incident like last year,’” Arnold said. “Glad to be able to do both.”
Jordan starter Scott Hollingsworth made his 24th straight state tournament appearance, moving him into third place all time behind Randy Moselle, who made 28 and Dassel-Cokato’s John Riewer, who appeared in 30 straight between Motley and the Saints.
Hollingsworth allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out nine and walked none. He ran into trouble in the top of the sixth after hitting two batters and giving up a single to load the bases. He got out of it by striking out the side.
Jordan gave Hollingsworth the start instead of ace Thomas Thompson, who struck out 15 in the tournament opener last Friday for the Brewers in a 5-0 win over Cold Spring. Thompson also came over from Chanhassen last season and is Arnold’s brother-in-law. Arnold married Thompson’s sister.
“There’s obviously good competition we’re going to have to face but it sets us up really, really good for the weekend to be able to save Thomas and let him go Sunday,” Arnold said. “Scott’s been a gamer for Jordan for years, so it’s not like we’re putting anyone out there.”
Sauk Centre took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Eli Fletcher scored on a single from Andrew Rousslange. Fletcher finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI to lead the Titans.
Jordan responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run to center field from Joe Lucas to grab a 2-1 lead.
The Brewers move on to face the winner of Buckman-New Ulm Sunday at 11 a.m. in Jordan.
