Saints deliver a thriller, punch ticket to Region 15C! (VIDEOS)

It was not a game for the faint of heart!

Quite often, winning in sports comes down to keeping your composure in stressful situations. It's one reason why I am so passionate about sports, as the experiences and lessons learned in athletic contests can easily mirror what people face in their everyday lives.

In Elrosa tonight, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team edged division rival New Munich 8-7 to qualify for the Region 15C tournament that takes place in August in Watkins. The Saints trailed 7-5 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, when they scored three runs to regain the lead. Closer Payton VanBeck took the mound in the top of the ninth and shut the door on the Silverstreaks while preserving the one-run lead by firing three strikeouts.

New Munich took an initial 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, but the Saints pushed five runs across in the bottom of the frame. The 5-2 lead later became a 7-5 deficit before the Saints regained the lead in the eighth. Elrosa's Derek Wiener hit a two-RBI single to tie it up, and Jackson Peter then scored the game winner via an error.

The Saints won through perseverance and gritty play in clutch situations. They overcame a big disparity in extra-base hits: five such hits were recorded by New Munich tonight to just one by Elrosa (a double by Gavin Kampsen in the seventh inning). Kampsen had the hot bat for Elrosa tonight as he earned two singles, one double with one RBI and one run scored. Overall, Elrosa out-hit New Munich 12 to 10. New Munich's Ty Reller pitched a stellar game but took the loss in a fine complete-game effort (8 earned runs, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts).

Here's a lengthy video from the top of the 6th inning with Will VanBeck pitching for Elrosa:


And here's a long video featuring the bottom of the 8th inning when Elrosa regained the lead:


Next: the Saints head to Spring Hill on Sunday for a region seeding contest, which is also the Stearns County League North division championship. That game is set for 2:30 p.m. at Chargers Stadium against either Spring Hill or Greenwald. More details to come.

On Saturday, the Spring Hill Chargers host Greenwald with a 1:30 p.m. game featuring a 1-vs-4 match up in the SCL-North playoffs.

Don't forget about the Bonanza Valley Royal Strutters Jake's Day at the Belgrade Sportsmen's Club! Here's all the details: https://shorturl.at/p3sxf. This was advertised in multiple issues of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.