Metros’ season ends

Casselton knocks off Minot, advances to state title game

By CRAIG HAUPERT, Staff Writer chaupert@minotdailynews.com

LAMOURE - There was no comeback this time by the Minot Metros. No battle back through the loser's bracket. No late-inning heroics.

The Metros' season came to an end Saturday at Townsend Field after a 4-1 loss to Casselton in a semifinal of the state Class B American Legion Baseball Tournament.

The Metros, who hadn't been to state since 2003, finished in the top four after defeating Makoti in the first round, falling to LaMoure in the second round and beating Harvey in a loser-out game.

"Coach (Jordan King) and I told the guys they have nothing to hang their heads about," Metros head coach Travis Smith said. "We were very impressed with how they played this summer and we're very proud of what they've become as baseball players and individuals."

Casselton, the lone undefeated team remaining, will play defending state champion LaMoure today for the state title. LaMoure must beat Casselton twice to win.

The teams traded runs in the second inning with Casselton's coming on a Beau Sinner single and Minot's on a Jarid Hoffman walk.

Casselton took a 2-1 lead in the third when Lex Lunde scored on a short stop error and in the sixth it added two more on a one-run double by Brandon Rust and a one-run single by Jake Wilcox.

"There's no safe cushion in the state tournament," Casselton head coach Scott Radloff said. "It was very good to get those runs because it allowed me to leave (starting pitcher Sam Schumacher) in the game. With a one-run lead I probably bring in somebody else for the seventh inning."

Neither team did much with runners in scoring position. The Metros left the bases loaded in innings two and four and left a total of 10 runners on base.

"It's been the tale of our tournament," Smith said. "We have games where we have runners in scoring position and we bop them in and we win. In the games we don't bring them in we lose."

Casselton loaded the bases in the fifth and came away empty and left eight men on.

Schumacher batted 2-for-4 for Casselton, which had eight hits and no errors. On the mound, Schumacher gave up six hits, struck out three and walked five.

Metros starter Kris Winkels took the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) and two hits while walking three and striking out three in four innings. Ben Magnuson relieved Winkels to start the fifth and gave up six hits and two earned runs.

LaMoure 10,

West Fargo Aces 1

LaMoure defeated the West Fargo Aces for the second time during the state Class B American Legion Baseball Tournament, this time 10-1 in a loser-out game.

Nick Tollefson, who pitched the win in LaMoure's opening-round win against WF, allowed seven hits and one earned run while striking out five in seven innings.

Second baseman Ben Watkins finished 3-for-4 with a double and Cam Albertson was 3-for-4 with two RBIs for defending state champion LaMoure, which had 14 hits and one error.

West Fargo starter Matt Strahma took the loss, giving up seven runs and nine hits in 32/3.