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Sunday, August 10, 2025
Elrosa Saints open state on Saturday
The brackets have been revealed!
The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team opens their 12th state tournament appearance this Saturday, August 16 in Hutchinson. Their game at 1:30 p.m. that day will be against the Windom Pirates. The Pirates won the Region 10C title with a 3-1 win over the Milroy Irish at Milroy's Irish Yard on Friday.
Windom holds a 23-1 overall record. Their last state trip was in 2021, and their program won the Class A state championship in 1936.
Elrosa's state draftees are Weston Gjerde from Norway Lake-Sunburg, Grant Moscho from Greenwald and Ben Welle from Spring Hill.
Hutchinson's state tournament site is Veterans Memorial Field At Dave Mooney Memorial Complex. This is located along the South Fork Crow River. The address is 301 Ontario Street SE, Hutchinson, MN 55350. Other state tournament sites for all classes are Gaylord, Brownton and Glencoe.
Region baseball continues in Spring Hill (VIDEO, UPDATES)
In a seeding game at Spring Hill today, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team is facing Regal with the No. 3 seed to state up for grabs. Just like all Region 8C games, this game is being aired on KASM 1150 AM of Albany: http://www.mykasm.com.
Regal extended a 1-0 lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning while facing starter Hayden Sobiech. Luke Dingmann took over pitching duties in the fifth.
Josh Beier hit a three-RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it a 5-0 lead for the Eagles. In the top of the 7th inning, the Saints were unable to score with a deficit on the scoreboard of 6-0.
Brayden Skindelien walked with an RBI to extend Regal's lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the 7th inning. Regal's leadoff batter in the 7th hit a solo home run. In the bottom of the 7th, Regal scored twice on one hit with no errors and 3 left on base. Elrosa reliever Luke Illies recorded 3 strikeouts but also issued 4 walks.
In the top of the 8th, pinch hitter Kevin Kuefler drew a two-out walk. A throwing error then got Jackson Peter on base. Ashton Dingmann then punched a three-run home run to bust up the shutout. That at bat by Dingmann marked the first time that Elrosa had 2 runners on at the same time. A pop fly ended the top of the 8th inning with no runners stranded.
In the bottom of the 8th, Wyatt Steffensen took over pitching duties for Elrosa, and he fired a strikeout against the first batter he faced. Regal's next batter singled, and Steffensen then struck out Shane Radermacher.
Here's a video featuring action in the bottom of the 6th inning yesterday against Starbuck:
In the top of the 9th inning, Elrosa left two stranded as they went down on a strikeout for the game's final out. Final score: Regal 8, Elrosa 3. The Eagles continue at regions with another seeding game today against Farming. For the game, Regal had 12 runners stranded, while Elrosa left 6 on base.
As reported yesterday, Regal defeated Roscoe 6-4 to advance to state in their final elimination game. The Eagles and Rangers faced eachother in the opening game at Spring Hill yesterday.
As for the Class C amateur baseball tournament...
The state tournament begins next weekend with games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (August 15,16,17) across four sites: Gaylord, Hutchinson, Brownton and Glencoe. The state brackets will be announced after 7 p.m. tonight, so for now, we don't know exactly when or where Elrosa plays their state opener. Additional state information is available at http://www.minnesotabaseballassociation.org/tournaments.
In other Region 8C games...
Paynesville won the Region 8C title by defeating Farming last night. The Pirates will be playing in the state tournament for the second time in program history.
After trailing 1-0 going into the second inning today against New Munich, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball teamput up a 5-spot in the top of the second inning and stayed alive in the Region 8C tournament with a 10-4 win.
Will VanBeck started for Elrosa and earned the pitching win, and Wyatt Steffensen pitched in relief. Riley Meyer was closer.
Next: the Saints travel back to Spring Hill next Saturday (August 9) for another elimination contest. They play at 1:30 p.m. against Starbuck. It is also a state-qualifying game, so the stakes are huge!
Here's a video from the top of the 4th inning yesterday against Regal:
And here's another video from the Regal game...
Action in the top of the 5th inning...
Today's games in Spring Hill included a light drizzle/mist combination that delivered light precipitation throughout the day. The rainfall made conditions very tough during the first game today, an elimination game that featured Roscoe taking on the host Chargers. Roscoe won 12-6 to advance to next weekend's action.
In today's lone state-qualifying game played in Spring Hill, the Farming Flames edged Regal 3-2 to punch their ticket to the big show. The Regal Eagles play next Saturday, August 9 at 11 a.m. against Roscoe in an elimination game. Farming will make back-to-back appearances at state after also advancing last year.
The Elrosa Saints open their Elite 8 amateur baseball tournament tonight with two games at Saints Field for the opening round. They face Royalton at 6:30 p.m. in the first game. First, they will honor our country with the National Anthem, which I hope to get to in time! This is a busy weekend with events also taking place in Terrace.
Here's a video featuring the final out recorded last year in the Elite 8 tournament championship game:
The Saints defeated New London-Spicer by an 11-4 score to claim the Elite 8 title last year.
On a cloudy, cool Father's Day afternoon, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team came away with a 4-3 extra-inning win at Roscoe.
It was a battle from start to finish, with Roscoe scoring 3 runs during the bottom of the first inning. The Saints scratched one across in the fourth inning before scoring once in both the eighth and ninth innings. In the top of the 10th inning, Luke Dingmann led off with a double and later scored the game-winning run on a successful suicide squeeze bunt by Will VanBeck. In the bottom of the 10th, Elrosa closer Ashton Dingmann got a ground ball and two strikeouts to close out the win.
Next: the Saints (8-5) host the Elite 8 tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 20, 21 and 22. Elrosa's first game is Friday night at 6:30 p.m. against the Royalton Riverdogs. That evening's action at Saints Field concludes with the New London-Spicer Twins facing the Waterville Indians.
Thanks to multiple outstanding pitching performances both yesterday and today, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team has a 2-0 record, and it's not even May yet! On Saturday in an exhibition game in Elrosa, the Saints defeated Starbuck 7-0.
Today, in the Stearns County League opener, the Saints defeated the host Lake Henry Lakers 3-0. Will VanBeck started today and pitched 5 innings while surrendering just 1 hit and 2 walks to go with 8 strikeouts. Ethan Vogt then pitched 3 innings (2 hits, no walks, 6 strikeouts), and Wyatt Steffensen earned the save as closer (1 hit, no walks, 1 strikeout).
Torii Johnson started against the Stars and pitched 4 innings with no walks, 2 hits and 5 strikeouts. Luke Dingmann relieved Johnson and got the win in 4 innings (3 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks). Peyton Winter was closer with no hits, no walks and 3 strikeouts.
Here's a video from Lake Henry today:
Next: the Saints host Greenwald in an SCL-North division border battle next Sunday, May 4 at 1:30 p.m.
The Brooten city council meets in regular session tomorrow night, Monday, at 7 p.m. The meeting agenda can be found at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper's editor's blog by clicking here: https://shorturl.at/ulxXf.
Monday afternoon update:
The weather forecast forced the cancellation/postponement of JV golf and varsity/JV fastpitch action today. As it turned out, the forecast did not pan out, and sunny skies with breezy 75 degree temperatures was what we had outdoors in the evening. Also, in Brooten, I recorded about 1.5" of rain in my rain guage.
Also! The B-B-E Jaguars fastpitch team has risen to the top of the Sub-Section 3A-North standings on the QRF. They are No. 28 out of all Class 1A teams, and Lac qui Parle Valley sits at No. 29. The Jaguars hold a 6-2 record, while the Eagles are 5-2.
Scheduling note for the fastpitch team: this week Tuesday, the Jaguars will host a doubleheader. They face Long Prairie-Grey Eagle at 4 p.m., and the second game features the Jaguars taking on Paynesville Area at approximately 6 p.m. More to follow after the Brooten city council meeting.
The Farming Flames came up big in the top of the sixth inning when they plated three runs on a successful suicide squeeze attempt today against the Elrosa Saints. The two amateur baseball teams were vying in an elimination game of the Region 15C tournament at Watkins. The three runs erased a 2-1 Elrosa lead, and the 4-2 lead held up as the Saints saw their season come to a close.
The Saints out-hit the Flames by a wide 11 to 4 margin, but three errors plus 11 stranded baserunners ultimately led to their demise. Payton VanBeck pitched an incredible complete game with 16 strikeouts. I'll update this blog post after I receive the official box score.
Elrosa finishes the season 14-9 overall with a youth-filled lineup. They won the Elite 8 tournament title for the third straight year as well as the Stearns County League North playoff title.
The county fairs for Pope County and Stearns County both conclude today. I've got two videos from Friday at the Stearns County Fair posted at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: https://shorturl.at/ZV0c7.
Sunday night update...
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Terrace this morning to take in the Chippewa Falls Lutheran church's 150th anniversary worship service. I am getting my 1.54 gigabyte video uploaded tonight from the service. The organizers did a really fantastic job. I am proud of all our area churches! Look for extended coverage of their 150th anniversary worship in the August 8 and possibly August 15 issues of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.
It looks like we are set to get another big shot of rain across the next 24 hours. Crazy! This is not a typical time of the year to receive ample rainfall. I know my garden is not complaining about it.
Displaying terrific play in clutch situations for the second straight game, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team emerged as Stearns County League North playoff champions after winning 6-4 against top-seeded Spring Hill this afternoon. It marks the 13th time that Elrosa has claimed a division playoff title; they've now been SCL-North champions in 2022, 2023 and now 2024.
With the game tied at 4-4 going into the 9th inning, Derek Wiener drilled a two-RBI home run on two outs past the left field fence. That two-run lead held up for the final score.
Elrosa took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Peyton Winter's RBI-single to drive Gavin Kampsen home. Kampsen hit a one-out double to get into scoring position. The Chargers forged a 3-1 lead with an RBI on a hit batsman and then a two-RBI single by Jamie Terres.
Ashton Dingmann led off the top of the sixth inning with a solo home run to cut the deficit to 3-2.
In the top of the 8th, Ashton Dingmann walked and took third base when Gavin Kampsen advanced on an error at first base on a ground ball play. Luke Illies then delivered with an RBI-single to centerfield to make it a 3-3 tie. With Kevin Kuefler batting, a wild pitch got away from catcher Nate Terres, which allowed Kampsen to score a go-ahead run on two outs.
The Chargers tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the 8th on Austin Schoenberg's RBI-single.
*Here's a video from the top of the 9th inning:
Here's action from the bottom of the 9th inning as the Saints shut the door on Spring Hill:
Payton VanBeck started and pitched 5 innings, and Ashton Dingmann closed while picking up the win.
The Saints (14-7 overall) take the top seed from the SCL-North into the Region 15C tournament. Their region opener is on Friday, August 2 in Watkins against the Central Valley League play-in game winner. First pitch is at 6 p.m. in the first of two region games that night.
Later today...
In the second game at Spring Hill today, New Munich faces Greenwald in a division playoffs elimination game. I'll get this blog post updated late tonight after I hear about draftees and the outcome of the elimination game...plus I need SCL-South playoff scores. The evening will be chewed up by gardening plus hashing out details on a 3-on-3 girls' basketball team for the Kerkhoven Town and Country Days! That is an exciting upcoming event. We have an all-fifth grade team created and registered for Saturday, July 27 at Pillsbury Park. They will compete in a grades 5-6 bracket starting at 9 a.m.
UPDATE! for the first time in...awhile! The Greenwald Cubs are heading to the Region 15C tournament. They won 4-1 today against New Munich to punch their ticket to Watkins.
Spring Hill enters the Region 15C tournament as the SCL-North's No. 2 seed, and they open their quest for the state tournament with a 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday, August 3 in Watkins against St. Martin, the SCL-South's No. 1 seed. The Martins edged Farming 7-6 this afternoon to claim the SCL-South division playoff title. In an elimination game, Lake Henry suffered a heartbreaking 6-5 loss in 11 innings to Richmond, who punches through to regions as the SCL-South's No. 3 seed.
In back-to-back league games tonight on the home diamond, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team cleaned up in two blowout seven-inning wins to lift their Stearns County League North division record to 7-6 as they prepare for the playoffs.
After beating Meire Grove 11-1, the Saints then defeated Roscoe 15-1 to move to 12-7 overall.
In game one, picking up the win in relief was Wyatt Steffensen, who pitched the last four innings with three hits after Ashton Dingmann started and went three innings with two hits. Against Roscoe in the nightcap, Ethan Vogt earned the complete game win with three hits, no earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts.
I have been pinned down by Bonanza Valley Days in Brooten along with some light carpentry at my office, plus some back-alley area cleaning. All things that have been pushed off until the last minute! The UPSIDE is that my sign is hung in front of my office again on main street...we are ready for Saturday!
Here's a video from tonight at the Brooten city park and softball diamond:
More to come much later tonight. I have already surpassed approximately 430 pictures for Bonanza Valley Days. Uff da.
Here's a web article providing a light update on BVD featuring what went down in Brooten today: https://shorturl.at/xlQMS.
Here's a video from Saturday morning in Brooten:
Just shy of 11 a.m. on Saturday, we got another downpour of rain. The music is still playing, and people are moving in and out of the downtown businesses while enjoying the show. At the city park, activities are busy with men's slowpitch softball plus the sand volleyball and the craft/vendor show.
The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team won their seventh straight game today by defeating New Munich 7-3 in a Stearns County League North game. They now hold a 9-7 overall record including exhibition contests. In the SCL-North standings, the Saints pull into third place with a 5-6 record.
The Saints posted four runs in the top of the second inning, and the scoring started with Derek Wiener hitting a solo home run. Elrosa made it a 5-0 lead in the third. After they added two additional runs in the seventh, the Silverstreaks rallied in the bottom of the ninth with three runs before they ran out of outs. Jackson Peter and Gavin Kampsen also earned extra base hits with one double each.
Elrosa had 10 hits to 8 for the host Silverstreaks. Will VanBeck started and got the win with 8 1/3 innings pitched. Wyatt Steffensen earned the save with the Saints recording the last two outs with him on the mound. New Munich's Ty Reller was tagged with the loss (7 innings).
Here's action today at New Munich starting with Jackson Peter at the plate facing Ty Reller in the top of the fourth inning:
Next: an exhibition game on Wednesday, July 10 in Elrosa against the Paynesville Pirates. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. Following that, Meire Grove is set to come to Elrosa on Friday, July 12. The Roscoe game has not been rescheduled.
Good luck tonight to the Elrosa Saints Little Dipper team, as they enter the SCL playoffs as the No. 7 seed. They face No. 2-seeded Farming in Farming at 6:30 p.m.
Here's a video from a week ago with Greenwald in Elrosa; this is in the bottom of the 8th inning:
More to come.
And just for fun...finally posting this...it was a fun moment! At the Gary Breitbach Memorial golf tournament on June 29 at Prairie View Golf Course.
Duane Braegelman knocks down a great putt:
Stearns County League baseball scores on July 7:
Spring Hill 14, Meire Grove 13 (this was a continuation of a game halted earlier in the season due to the weather; action started today with Spring Hill ahead 11-10 in the seventh inning)
Spring Hill 7, Meire Grove 3
Lake Henry 3, Roscoe 0
Farming 8, Greenwald 1
Food options summary for Bonanza Valley Days in Brooten!
At the Lucky Shots Bowling Alley on main street in Brooten, they will have open kids bowling from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 13. Also! On Lucky Shots Bowling Alley will be grilling brats and hamburgers for sale and also single slices of pizza when open during the BVD weekend.
RJ's Mini Mart, the Backyard Burger drive-in, Marcia's Bar and Grill plus the KaDe Shack will also all be serving food. At the KaDe Shack, they will shut down their kitchen at approximately noon on Saturday, July 13 and be serving only drinks the rest of the day/evening. On Saturday morning, the KaDe Shack will have Tom's hearty breakfast buffet from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. partly to help feed the huge crowd coming to town for the BVD Car and Tractor Show.
Other food vendors are coming to town as well. More on that to come later. I plan to make most updates on this at the Bonanza Valley Voice website, and you can find the BVD food options web article here: https://shorturl.at/muaOI. The July 11 printed newspaper will also have this information.
Special Taher Foods summer meals program announcement:
On Friday, July 12, Tahar will crank up their summer meals to accommodate the extra influx of children who will be in Brooten for the BVD youth baseball tournament. They will have hamburgers to serve up to 200 children between 11 a.m. and noon on Friday. The food will include extra components to qualify as a federally reimbursable meal, and the food will also be served to-go as needed to help keep the kids coming and going and well fed! Please spread the word. These meals are FREE!!!
Brief updates from the game in Litchfield will follow here on this blog post. The game will be aired on KASM 1150 AM! (And on their website: http://www.mykasm.com.)
First pitch is set for approximately 4:30 p.m.
GAME UPDATES...
**After the first inning, the game is tied 0 to 0. Cole Fuchs of Cold Spring is pitching for Elrosa.
**Through 3 1/2 innings, the score is still 0 to 0.
**Through 5 innings, we still have no score at Optimist Park.
Here's a video from the bottom of the fourth inning:
**Update: runs scored by Derek Wiener and Ashton Dingmann in the top of the sixth inning have given the Saints a 2-0 lead!! Earning the RBIs were Peyton Winter (fly out) and Andrew Weller (base hit).
FINAL: the Saints won by a 2-0 score to advance to the Sweet 16. They play Delano in Delano on Friday, September 1 at 7:30 p.m. Please spread the word!!
Here's a short video from after the game concluded:
Delano defeated Spring Hill last night by a 4-0 score.
Light summary: Elrosa's bats were dialed in as they totaled 11 hits for the game compared to six by the Mudhens. Minneota had a good start with a lead off base hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Elrosa's defense took out the next three batters beginning with a strikeout on the second batter, who got caught looking on a 3-2 count pitch. Overall this was an outstanding game was just one error, which came on a very tough 5-3 put out throw on a hard chopper to third base.
Both teams made outstanding defensive plays including numerous tough pop fly grabs in the outfield.
Game video and a better game recap will be posted in a new blog post later tonight on Sunday evening. I'm spending the majority of Sunday driving our daughter home from Rochester Mayo hospital.
Spring Hill has kept their season alive after they defeated Lake Henry 5-4 this afternoon in the Region 15C amateur baseball tournament. Earlier today at Lake Henry, St. Martin edged the Cold Spring Rockies 4-3 to punch their ticket to the state tournament.
The Elrosa vs. Pearl Lake game has been delayed a bit due to a brief shot of rain in Lake Henry. The game won't start until after 4:30 p.m.
Here's the view from Lake Henry just before the bottom of the 9th inning yesterday:
Game updates to follow.
**The game started at 4:28 p.m.
*Update: going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Pearl Lake has a 1-0 lead.
*Update: with 5 innings complete, Elrosa trails 1-0.
*Update: with 6 innings complete, the Saints are ahead 4-1 over the Lakers.
Final: Elrosa 4, Pearl Lake 1. The Saints stay alive to play next weekend, and they play in another elimination game at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday at Lake Henry. Their opponent will be Cold Spring. Spread the word!! A new blog post will feature game notes and video. Stay tuned.
Today we have the Elrosa Saints hosting their playoff opener at 11 a.m., and the Belgrade Lions third annual golf tournament is being held in Brooten with a shot gun start at 11 a.m.
Baseball updates to follow.
**Through four innings, the Saints hold a 7-3 lead over Greenwald.
Final score: Elrosa 12, Greenwald 3. The Saints play next tomorrow in New Munich at noon in the division playoff championship.
*Update: Spring Hill defeated New Munich today to advance to the region tournament. They face our Saints tomorrow for the division playoff title.
Roscoe lost 8-3 to Lake Henry today, so the Lakers are also advancing to Regions, which they host.
In baseball news...
Payton VanBeck, B-B-E Class of 2019, has signed with the St. Cloud Rox semi-professional team (that's a couple weeks old by now)...local baseball fans have organized a COACH BUS from Bucky's Bar in Elrosa for his team's HOME game tomorrow, Thursday, July 6. As of this afternoon, a few spots are available at a cost of $10 per rider. FIRST pitch is at 6:35 p.m. in St. Cloud with the Rox facing the Duluth Huskies. The coach bus from Elrosa departs Bucky's at 4 p.m. sharp and heading straight to Joe Faber Field. They will return directly after the game. Please text AJ at 320-333-8818 to reserve your spot!
Here's a clip of Payton VanBeck in action during the Region 15C opener last August at Meire Grove:
VanBeck and the rest of the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team are next in action on Friday this week on the home diamond when they host Meire Grove with first pitch at 8 p.m.
And a flashback video! Just over five years ago on May 31, 2018 at Chizek Field in Morris...
Then a junior, Payton VanBeck was the closer for the B-B-E Jaguars in their third playoff game of the Section 6A tournament in relief of starter (and sophomore) Jackson Peter. B-B-E defeated Border West 3-1 in a winner's bracket game to improve to 3-0 in the postseason. They later lost 11-4 and then 9-8 in their next two games, however, to fall out of state contention.
Some quick math and a look at recent baseball seasons...the Jaguars are 26-11 in the Section 6A baseball playoffs dating back to the 2016 season when they made their deepest postseason run in school history to that point and finished third. They finished as Section 6A runners-up in 2019 in Payton VanBeck's senior year. In his younger brother's senior year (2022), the Jaguars finished in third place in Section 6A. This spring, as you all should remember, the Jaguars had their first-ever perfect run through the section playoffs with a 5-0 record. A school record six straight playoff wins landed them a spot in the Class 1A state Final Four for the first time ever.
In the opening game of action at Elrosa's Elite 8 amateur baseball tournament today, the Bluffton Braves defeated the Royalton Riverdogs 4-1 to move into the winner's bracket semifinals. In the second game of the day held at noon, the Fergus Falls Canes defeatd the Brookings Cubs 7-2 to advance to face Elrosa tonight.
In a consolation bracket semifinal game this afternoon, the Benson Plowboys lost 5-4 in 8 innings against Brookings on a walkoff RBI-walk. The Urbank-Parkers Prairie Bombers won 3-2 on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 7th inning against Royalton.
Saturday night update: the Elrosa Saints won by a 2-0 score against Fergus Falls in the nightcap to advance to the championship game. Payton VanBeck earned a whopping 17 strikeouts out of the 21 batters retired in the game. The Saints will face New London-Spicer tomorrow (Sunday) at approximately 4 p.m. The Twins edged Bluffton 4-3 tonight in the other semifinal contest.
In an exhibition game under the lights at Gumby Bauer Stadium tonight, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team defeated their neighbors to the southeast, Regal, by a 7-1 score. They led 4-0 after three innings, and the Eagles picked up their lone run in the top of the fifth.
Riley Meyer picked up the win for Elrosa in 6 1/3 innings (H-2 R-1 ER-0 BB-4 K-3), and Wyatt Steffensen was the closer (H-2 R-0 BB-2 K-2). Jackson Peter doubled and tripled for the Saints with two RBI and three runs scored. The Saints piled up 10 hits to just 4 by Regal.
NEXT: the Saints (3-2 overall) travel to Greenwald on Sunday afternoon to face their neighbors to the east in a Stearns County League North division game.
I finally got the video posted from the Brooten American Legion Memorial Day program at the Pavilion last Monday morning. You can find that by clicking over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: https://tinyurl.com/579ma9um. I sure wish more local citizens would attend our Memorial Day programs. It is especially important that families with children attend them. Every day it seems that the citizenry of the United States becomes less and less patriotic. This is a rotten SHAME.
On Sunday in Greenwald, the Saints won 7-2 thanks to a five-run seventh inning to run their winning streak to four games. Payton VanBeck struck out 12 batters. Elrosa (5-2 overall, 4-2 Stearns County League North) is two games out of first place behind division unbeaten New Munich (6-0).
NEXT:the Saints host Greenwald this Friday night and then step out of the SCL with an exhibition game in Avon against the Lakers.
The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team won 3-1 in their state tournament opener! They led 1-0 early againtst Montgomery on their way to advancing to the Round of 32 in the Class C state tournament. The Mallards and Saints had one error each, and the Mallards out-hit the Saints by a 7-to-6 margin. Elrosa's Ashton Dingmann had the game's only extra-base hit, as Dingmann hit a two-out double in the top of the second inning. Payton VanBeck pitched all nine innings with one earned run, two walks and six strikeouts. Two Montgomery pitchers combined to strike out 10 Elrosa batters, and starter Johnny Krocak gave up two earned runs in seven innings to take the loss. Elrosa's defense worked to strand 11 Montgomery base runners, while Elrosa had six stranded in the game.
I haven't confirmed all the information for the next round, but I know the Saints will play on Saturday, August 27 at 11 a.m. More informatio to come. I have to get back to Sedan for about the fifth time today! They are having an amazing Sedan Daze celebration!
**Confirmed: the Saints play in Dundas at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 27 against the Region 2C champion New Ulm Brewers. Spread the word!
Here's a video from the Sedan Daze tug-of-war competition that was held in the hay field due east of Heidi's Bar this evening:
If you were unable to attend Sedan Daze, that is very, very unfortunate!! They pulled off an incredible day. It was amazing from start to finish.
Not much time to blog this morning as we prepare for the Belgrade August Fest activities, but here's a video of the National Anthem from last night in Elrosa.
VIDEO:
**Another video added on Saturday afternoon before the Belgrade August Fest parade...
It was a beautiful night for baseball!
Please come to Belgrade today! The parade is at 4 p.m.
Update: at Meire Grove today, Richmond defeated New Munich in a 10-inning thriller by a 3-2 score to advance to the state tournament. That's all I've got right now. Heading back to the street dance in Belgrade! It has been an incredible day of fun at the Belgrade August Fest!! REMEMBER: Elrosa plays tomorrow (Sunday) at 1:30 p.m. in Meire Grove in a seeding game. If they win, they will be the No. 2 seed to the Class C state tournament out of Region 15C.
The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team defeated New Munich 5-2 today in the division playoff championship game. The Saints will take a No. 1 seed into regions. In today's win, Wyatt Steffensen and Ethan Vogt combined to hold the Silverstreaks to just three hits. Elrosa managed five runs off of New Munich starter Jim Thull, who pitched seven innings. Will Funk closed for the visitors.
Other information about the upcoming Region 15C baseball tournament is forthcoming later tonight.
*UPDATE: the Saints open the region tournament on Saturday, August 6 at 4 p.m. in Meire Grove. They will take on the No. 3 seeded team out of the Stearns County South division. Spread the word!!!
The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team defeated visiting Richmond today by a 4-1 score to close out the regular season. The divisional playoffs begin on Saturday, July 23; information to be announced.
I learned that on Tuesday this week, the No. 2-seeded Elrosa Saints Legion team plays No. 7-seeded Regal at Regal in the first round of the Stearns County League playoffs.
I finally got my Bonanza Valley Days 3-on-3 basketball tournament photos uploaded...and coverage will follow in the July 21 newspaper. You can find the photo gallery by clicking on this short link: https://bit.ly/3RJ35ni. We've finally made headway on uploading BVD pictures to the online gallery...the current tally is 226 pictures uploaded. Progress! *UPDATE: the new total of uploaded BVD photos is 450 at the end of Sunday night. I'm over one-third of the way towards the end zone with this project.
