Crookston Legion Baseball wins first two games at Grand Forks tourney

The Crookston American Legion Post 20 Baseball team beat the Grand Forks Blues Junior Legion team 13-2 and beat the Fertile American Legion Post 238 9-4 in the second game of the Grand Forks Tournament on Friday.

FIRST INNING-
Crookston’s Parker Kelly started the game with a single to center field before the next three batters were retired.
The first two Grand Forks batters were retired before Geats walked. The next batter struck out and the inning was over.

SECOND INNING-
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a strikeout, ground out, and a pop out.
Grand Forks’ Korynta singled and moved to second on a passed ball. Waldorf singled to score a run for a 1-0 lead. The next two batters walked to load the bases and a run scored on an error for a 2-0 lead.

THIRD INNING –
Crookston answered in the third inning with a Blake Melsa single. After an out, Kelly singled and Matt Contreras tripled to score two runs to tie the game at 2-2. Gavyn Hlucny walked before Greyson Ecker grounded out to the pitcher and another run scored to give Crookston a 3-2 lead.
Grand Forks’ Geats doubled and Twedt reached on an error. Crookston got an out when they caught a runner trying to steal second and the next batter grounded out.

FOURTH INNING-
Crookston was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a ground out, strikeout, and pop out.
Grand Forks was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with two flyouts and a ground out.

FIFTH INNING-
Crookston added more runs in the fifth inning when Kelly and Contreras walked and Hlucny grounded out and a run scored for a 4-2 lead. Ecker reached on an error and another run scored. Perala singled to right field and another run scored for a 6-2 lead.
Grand Forks’s Pribula led off with a single before the next three batters were retired.

SIXTH INNING-
Crookston’s Carter Fee started the inning with a single, Melsa walked and Lucas Miller reached on an error that allowed a run to score. After an out, Contreras knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly and Hlucny singled to score a run for a 9-2 lead. Hlucny stole second base before Ecker singled to score a run. Perala singled to score a run for an 11-2 lead. Cassavant walked and Fee singled to left field to score two runs for a 13-2 lead.
Grand Forks’ first two batters were retired before a walk and a hit batter. The next batter struckout and Crookston won the game 13-2.

 OFFENSIVE LEADERS –

Crookston –
Parker Kelly – 2 for 3, 3 runs, walk
Lucas Perala – 2 for 4, 2 rbi, run
Carter Fee – 2 for 4, 2 rbi, run

Grand Forks –
R. Waldorf – 1 for 2, run, rbi, walk
M. Geats – 1 for 2, walk
L. Pribula – 1 for 3
B. Korynta – 1 for 3, run

FIRST INNING-
Crookston’s Parker Kelly reached on an error before Matt Contreras, Gavyn Hlucny, and Jay Reese walked and a run scored. Teagen Lubinski walked to score another run. Hlucny scored on a passed ball and Isaiah Donarski grounded out and another run scored for a 4-0 lead. Blake Melsa walked before Cody Demarais grounded out to knock in another run for a 5-0 lead.
Fertile’s Kane Oistad and Bryer Strem singled and after an out, Oistad scored on a passed ball to get within a 5-1 deficit.

SECOND INNING-
Crookston’s Kelly started the second inning with a walk and after an out, Hlucny was hit by a pitch. Reese walked and Hlucny was caught stealing for the second out of the inning. Lubinski doubled to score two more runs for a 7-1 lead.
Fertile was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with two fly outs and a strikeout.

THIRD INNING-
The first two Crookston batters were retired before Kelly walked. The next batter struck out.
Fertile answered in the bottom of the inning with a Creed Tollefson double and a Steven Sather walk. The next batter struck out before Strem grounded into a fielder’s choice and a run scored. Strem scored another run on a passed ball to get within a 7-3 deficit.

FOURTH INNING-
Crookston’s Hlucny reached on an error before the next batter popped out. Lubinski walked before the next two batters were retired.
Fertile’s Caleb Sather walked and after the next two batters were retired, Brady Bjerk reached on an error. Tollefson singled to knock in another run to bring Fertile within a 7-4 deficit.

FIFTH INNING-
Crookston’s Kelly reached on an infield single with two outs before the next batter grounded out.
The first two Fertile batters were retired on a fly out and a ground out before Strem and Easton Petry singled. The next batter grounded out and the inning was over.

SIXTH INNING-
Crookston’s Hlucny singled and Reese doubled. Lubinski knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly. Donarski grounded out to score a run for a 9-4 lead. Melsa walked before he was caught stealing for the third out of the inning.
Fertile needed to score at least five runs to keep the game going of six to win. Johnson and Drew Gullickson singled. The next three batters were retired and Crookston won the game 9-4.

Crookston Leaders-
Parker Kelly – 1 for 2, run, 2 walks
Gavyn Hlucny – 1 for 2, 3 runs, walk
Jay Reese – 1 for 2, 3 runs,2 walks, rbi
Teagen Lubinski – 1 for 1, 4 rbi, 2 walks, run

Fertile leaders –
Bryer Strem – 2 for 3, run
Creed Tollefson – 2 for 3, run, rbi