Rangers unseat No-2 seeded Farmington in state tournament

The unseeded Forest Lake Rangers upset the No. 2-seeded Farmington Tigers by a final score of 1-0 in the opening round of the Class AAAA state baseball tournament on Thursday, June 15, at CHS Field. The Rangers, who entered the tournament as a random draw, cracked the “pressure-proof” Tigers to advance to the semifinals round tomorrow.

In a game where Farmington was heavily-favored, the Rangers played loose and free, which allowed Forest Lake to play its own style of baseball, resulting in the upset victory. Head coach Kale Henry and his team played to their strengths in pitching and defense, which was evident in the low-scoring affair.

The Rangers got on the board early with a single run coming in the top of the third, before a back-and-forth game ensued with both teams playing stellar defense in the final few innings.

In the bottom of the seventh, in a loser goes home situation, the Rangers had their backs against the wall as the Tigers had a runner on third and second base with only one out. But, Forest Lake put the game into their own hands and recorded the final two outs, ultimately sealing the win.

With the win, the Rangers will face the winner of a matchup between No. 3- seeded East Ridge and unseeded Eastview tomorrow at noon at CHS Stadium.