Last year’s Class B State runner-up Nisswa clinched a return trip to the State Tournament with a 4-3 win over the Avon Lakers on Friday night in Avon. Nate DeChaine Homered twice among his 3 hits and drove in 3 of the Lightning’s 4 runs. Avon trailed 4-0 before scoring 3 in the top of the 8th to make it interesting but their rally fell short as Nisswa held on to win.
With a pitching matchup of Reese Gregory for Avon and Dalton Maxwell for Nisswa, early runs were hard to come by. Both teams picked up a lead-off single in their 1st inning as Ryan Janzen singled for the Lakers and Kody Ruedisili singled for the Lightning, but both Gregory and Maxwell got out of any trouble. Although Avon nearly scored in the top of the 1st when Elliott Burnett followed up Janzen’s single with a double to center, but a perfect relay throw from Jeremiah Piepkorn nailed Janzen trying to score for the 1st out of the game.
The 2nd and 3rd innings passed quickly with the only baserunner being Ryan Janzen for Avon, who walked with 2 outs in the top of the 3rd.
In the top of the 4th, Caleb Curry led off with a single for Avon and went to 2nd on an error, but Dalton Maxwell then got Nolan Dumonceaux to pop up to Nate DeChaine at 1st, followed by a Reese Gregory single. But for the 2nd time in the game, Avon had a runner thrown out at the plate as Curry was thrown out trying to score on the Gregory single. Kadyn Mork then grounded out to DeChaine at 1st to end the inning.
Reese Gregory found himself in trouble for the first time in the bottom of the 4th when Nate DeChaine led off with a double to right. Gregory then fanned Sam Peterson and Colbe Tappe back-to-back before walking Chris Pederson. Gregory then stranded both runners when he got Blaine Hardy to ground out to shortstop Caleb Curry to end the threat and keep the game scoreless after 4 innings.
Dalton Maxwell had a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 5th, striking out Henry Schloe, getting Travis Cariveau to ground out to 3rd baseman Matt Casperson and Carter Holthaus bouncing out to shortstop Sam Peterson.
Reese Gregory opened the bottom of the 5th by getting both Matt Casperson and Nic Kotaska to ground out before walking Kody Ruedisili. But Jeremiah Piepkorn grounded out to 3rd baseman Travis Cariveau to end the 5th in a 0-0 tie.
In the top of the 6th, Elliott Burnett of Avon reached on a 1-out error, but Dalton Maxwell then got Caleb Curry to hit into an inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the 6th, Nate DeChaine broke up the shutout with a solo Homer to right to put Nisswa ahead 1-0. Colbe Tappe added a 1-out single, but Reese Gregory got Chris Pederson to pop up to catcher Carter Holthaus and Blaine Hardy grounded out to 3rd to finish off the 6th with the Lightning leading 1-0.
In the top of the 7th, Reese Gregory singled with 1 out for Avon and was pinch-run for by Abe Kalthoff. But Dalton Maxwell made it through the inning by getting Kadyn Mork to fly out to center and Henry Schloe grounded out to 2nd baseman Jeremiah Piekorn to send the game to the 7th inning stretch with Nisswa leading 1-0.
In the bottom of the 7th, Avon replaced Reese Gregory on the mound with righty Drew Lieser. Nic Kotaska opened the inning with a walk, then Matt Casperson was out on a failed sacrifice. After Kotaska stole 2nd, Kody Ruedisili singled to center to drive in Kotaska and put Nisswa ahead 2-0. Lieser then got Jeremiah Piepkorn to line out to center for the 2nd out, but then Nate DeChaine connected for his 2nd Homer of the game, a 2-run shot to right, and the Lightning were now up 4-0. Sam Peterson then flew out to left to move the game to the 8th inning.
Avon came up in the top of the 8th with Travis Cariveau grounding out to Matt Casperson at 3rd, then getting a single from Carter Holthaus. Nisswa then made the move to bring in Blaine Hardy to face Ryan Janzen as Dalton Maxwell’s night was over after a strong 7.1 innings. Ryan Janzen greeted Hardy with a single to right, moving Holthaus to 2nd with 1 out. Elliott Burnett then collected Avon’s 3rd straight hit with an rbi single to right to score Holthaus and make it 4-1. When the throw from right went all the way to the plate, Janzen went to 3rd and Burnett to 2nd. Caleb Curry then slugged a 2-run double to right as both Janzen and Burnett scored to make it a 4-3 game and the Lakers now had the tying run at 2nd with 1 out. Blaine Hardy then recorded his first out when Nolan Dumonceaux flew out to right fielder Chris Pederson for the 2nd out of the inning, with Curry tagging up and advancing to 3rd. Hardy then got Reese Gregory to fly out to center fielder Kody Ruedisili to strand Curry at 3rd with the score 4-3.
In the bottom of the 8th, Nisswa threatened when Colbe Tappe led off with a double against Drew Lieser. But Lieser then struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Wittwer, he got Blaine Hardy to ground out to shortstop and then got Nic Kotaska to line out to Elliott Burnett in left field to strand Tappe at 3rd as the game moved to the 9th with Avon coming up and trailing by a run.
In the top of the 9th, Blaine Hardy, last year’s Most Outstanding Pitcher in the Class B State Tournament, got Kady Mork to fly out to Nic Kotaska in left, then struck out Henry Schloe for the 2nd out. Hardy then ended the game by striking out Travis Cariveau to clinch Nisswa’s return trip to the Class B State Tournament with their 4-3 win.
Avon wasn’t eliminated with the loss, as they would play in the 5th place game on Saturday in Pierz against the Pierz Lakers for District 4B’s final available bid to State at stake. Nisswa advanced to play in Saturday’s 3rd place game against the Foley Lumberjacks.
Avon 3 9 0 – 3
Nisswa 4 7 2 – 4
WP: Dalton Maxwell 7.1 IP 1 run 6 hits 1k 1bb
SV: Blaine Hardy 1.2 IP 2 runs 3 hits 2k 0bb
LP: Reese Gregory 6.0 IP 1 run 4 hits 2k 3bb 1hp
Drew Lieser 2.0 IP 3 runs 3 hits 1k 1bb
Lightning:
Kody Ruedisili 2-3 bb, sb, rbi, run
Jeremiah Piepkorn 0-4
Nate DeChaine 3-3 Hr(2), 2B, hp, 3 rbi, 2 runs
Sam Peterson 0-3 bb
Colbe Tappe 2-4 2B
Chris Pederson 0-2 bb
– Tyler Wittwer 0-1
Blaine Hardy 0-4
Nic Kotaska 0-3 bb, sb, run
Matt Casperson 0-3
Lakers:
Ryan Janzen 2-3 bb, sb, run
Elliott Burnett 2-4 2B, rbi, run
Caleb Curry 2-4 2B, 2 rbi
Nolan Dumonceaux 0-4
Reese Gregory 2-4
Kadyn Mork 0-4
Henry Schloe 0-4
Travis Cariveau 0-4
Carter Holthaus 1-3 run
