By Ryan Simonson
MBA contributing writer
The Litchfield Blues came into week two of the tourney full of optimism after winning the Region 6 championship and cruising to a 4-1 win over the Granite Falls Kilowatts that never felt particularly close. The Pirates of Windom, after winning the title in their own Region 10 tournament, had to dig deep to escape the Clearwater River Cats with a 3-2 walk-off win after scattering 12 hits around the ballpark but stranding 13 runners in the tournament’s opening weekend.
Both teams opened the games with their respective aces: Collin Lovell for the Pirates and Owen Boerema for the Blues.
Perhaps determined not to put themselves in the same tight situation as a week before, the Pirates came out of the gates aggressive and never relented. Leadoff hitter Chase McDaniel began the game with a sharp single, advancing to third base with a headfirst slide and celebrating emphatically after the ball was misplayed in left field. Two pitches later he scored on a groundout to shortstop, helping the Pirates steal the first run of the game.
Strong pitching set the tone in most of the first half of the game, with Boerema and Lovell only allowing a hit each through the next 2 1/2 innings, with Lovell nullifying a Litchfield threat in the bottom of the third by picking off two runners after the Blues started the inning with runners on first and second with nobody out.
Windom added two more runs in the fourth inning, with Quintin Tietz singling, pillaging second and third, and scoring on a productive groundout. Soon after, Luke Gilberson drove in Alex Borsgard to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
Litchfield put some traffic on the bags in the fifth, but could not get the hit it needed to get on the board and cut into the Pirate lead. Then more aggressive baserunning extended Windom’s lead in the eighth when Chase McDaniel once again reached base on a walk, then drew a wild throw from the outfield and scored while attempting to advance to third on a single. Windom would use the bunt to add another run by the end of the inning, heading into the bottom of the eighth inning leading 5-0.
After a one-out walk to Jack Ramthun, Collin Lovell was replaced by his southpaw brother Kobe Lovell, who induced a popup and then picked off another Bluesman on first base to end the inning. He went on to put Litchfield down in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure a win and a trip to Labor Day weekend for the plundering Pirates of Windom.
Regarding their systematic, but free-spirited approach on the basepaths, Pirates manager Nick Kulseth said, “We’re aggressive on the basepaths. We’re going to make teams make errors, and we’re going to make them field.”
Luke Gilbertson led the Pirates with two hits and an RBI, while Chase McDaniel would score two runs for Windom. Brothers Collin and Kobe Lovell combined for the three-hit shutout, picking off three runners.
Owen Boresma went eight innings for the Blues, striking out 10 and getting a hit on the offensive side of the ball. Jacob Jones and Eric Hulterstrom also had hits for Litchfield.
Windom advances to face the winner of Hanska and Atwater on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Jordan.
