A six-run lead with a half inning to play seemed safe enough for Burlington. It wasn’t.
The Minot Metros scored seven runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Burlington 10-9 in dramatic fashion in the final game of the Minot Metros Classic American Legion Baseball jamboree Sunday at Corbett Field.
Metros’ Damon Otto, who was running for an injured Jarid Hoffman, scored the winning run from second base on a wild pitch that rolled into the Burlington dugout. It is the second-straight win for the Metros (4-2), who will play Burlington in a Section 5 contest at 5:30 p.m. today at Corbett Field.
“It’s been difficult for us this year to find a rhythm. We’ve found ourselves in almost every game this year being down early,” Metros head coach Travis Smith said. “So we’ve had to force ourselves to play comeback baseball and luckily we are 4-2 playing comeback baseball.”
The rally began with three-straight singles by Nos. 5-7 hitters Alex Howell, Ben Magnuson and Casey Roed to load the bases with no outs. Eric Merck followed with a strong double that scored two and stole the momentum from the Bulldogs.
“We really needed to get going and I went up there looking for a fastball up the middle,” Merck said. “He gave me it and I drove it.”
In the next at bat, Aaron Kohlman doubled for Minot’s fifth hit of the inning and Dan Himmerick followed with a walk. Hoffman laid down a bunt and reached first when Burlington relief pitcher Shawn Storseth’s throw was wide of the first baseman. The error allowed Kohlman and Himmerick to score, tying the game at nine.
Hoffman injured his right knee during the play and Otto was sent in to run for him. Metros starting pitcher, Alex Fornshell, bunted Otto to second and Otto later came home on Storseth’s wild pitch to end the game.
Smith gave a lot of credit to batters 5-9, which combined to hit 8-for-15 and have all but one of the Metros’ nine hits.
“The bottom half of our order really was the key to our success. They put the ball hard in play and the top half of our order struggled. It’s nice to know the bottom half can come through for you,” Smith said.
Burlington starter, Tim Ranum, was strong through six innings, allowing just four hits and no earned runs, while striking out five. But he gave up five straight hits to start the seventh before being relieved by Storseth.
“We just have to learn how to finish games. We’re still trying to figure some things out,” Bulldogs head coach Brock Weppler said. “Tim hasn’t thrown in almost a year now. He just tired down at the end. We give him a few more outings and he’ll be able to close it out.”
Storseth was credited the loss, but was strong at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with a double, triple, two runs scored and a run batted in. Robbie Caddel, Levi Oen and Ryan Westby also had multiple hits for the Bulldogs (1-2).
Metros reliever Daniel Himmerick came in in the seventh and earned the win. Fornshell gave up nine hits, eight runs and struck out five.
