The Becker Bulldog boys baseball team advanced in the Section 8AAA playoffs by beating Bemidji, but lost for the second time in a week to STMA to see their season end Monday.
STMA 9, Becker 5
After winning the first game against Bemidji (see below), the Bulldogs had to come back right away and play the #1-seeded STMA Knights — the team that put the Bulldogs in the loser bracket with a 17-5 drubbing the Monday before.
This time the Knights ended the Bulldogs’ season with a four-run win.
Just like last Monday, the Bulldogs fell behind early and battled back, but it just was not enough.
Cody Gruenhagen started on the mound and things were going well for him until the third ending when the Knights’ bats came alive, scoring three runs.
Things could have been worst for the ‘Dawgs as Gruenhagen left runners on second and third with no outs and Head Coach Chuck Stanger brought in Casey Vesledahl in relief. Vesledahl got the first batter to pop out to third base, then he struck out the next two batters to keep the game tight at 3-0.
STMA, however, blew open the game with two runs in the fourth and four more runs in the fifth to go ahead 9-0.
The Bulldogs — not wanting their season to die in such ugly fashion — scored five runs in the seventh inning to put a scare in the Knights.
Clayton Gallus led off with a hit and was followed with a hit by Tyler Thorson. John Mann drew a walk to load the bases and Eric Blomgren delivered with a triple to clear the bases. Blomgren came home when the throw went into the Knight’s dugout. Becker’s final run came when Andrew Stanger smacked a double and scored on Jake Fobbe hit.
The season ended for the Bulldogs but it was a good season as they won 13 games while losing 11. Last season, the Bulldogs finished 5-16, so it was a turnaround season for these young Bulldogs.
Next year looks bright as the team will be losing only one player (senior Eric Blomgren), who will be missed.
Becker 8, Bemidji 0
The Bulldogs traveled to Joe Faber field Monday to play the #2-seeded Bemidji Lumberjacks — a team Becker had never played before — and the Bulldogs chopped the Lumberjacks out of the playoffs with an easy shutout win.
Bemidji was the home team and in the top of the first inning, Cody Gruenhagen sent a big bomb over the right field fence with two out for a quick one-run lead. It was Gruenhagen’s third home run of the season.
Gruenhagen also was the starting and winning pitcher, going the distance while giving up just three hits and striking out five. The Bulldog defense was outstanding.
After Gruenhagen’s dinger in the first, the Bulldogs scored two runs in the third inning when Andrew Stanger led off with a single, followed by a single by Jake Fobbe.
They scored on Gruenhagen’s double to the opposite field to make the score 3-0.
The Bulldogs put the game away in the sixth inning, scoring four more runs when Casey Vesledahl reached base on an error and Andrew Berglund came in to pinch run for Vesledahl. Berglund proceeded to steal second base and scored on a base hit by Eric Blomgren. Matt Yoerg followed with a base hit, putting runners on first and second with no outs.
Connor Rolf put down a perfect sac bunt, moving Blomgren to third and Yoerg second. Stanger delivered with a base hit, scoring Blomgren and Yoerg. Stanger stole second base and scored on a base hit by Fobbe.
Becker added a lone run in the seventh when Blomgren walked and moved to third on a hit by Yoerg. He scored the final run on a hit by Rolf.
Leading hitters for Becker were Gruenhagen, who went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run; Stanger, who went 2-for-5 and two RBIs; Yoerg was 3-for-5; Blomgren was 2-for-4 and Fobbe was 2-for-4.
