(Cedar Rapids, IA) — It was a dramatic ball game, it was almost a dramatic win for Harlan, but the Comets stormed back in the bottom of the 7th inning as Chase Fjelland hit a shot to the left field wall with the bases loaded to win it 5-4 and advance to the 3A semifinals.
North Polk starter Reece Wrage was dominant early; his first 11 pitches were strikes and he allowed just 1 baserunner in the first 2 innings. Harlan starting pitcher Brayden Ernst gave up 3 hits in the first 2 innings but the game remained scoreless.
Both teams threatened in the third inning but failed to score. In the bottom of the 4th, North Polk loaded the bases with no outs for the first major threat of the game. However, “Ernst picked off Hunter Cook at 2nd base and then on a suicide squeeze attempt, Charlie Bunkers popped up to Ernst who then forced out Wrage at third to retire the side.
Harlan would not get so fortunate in the bottom of the 5th. Brayden Foster got a leadoff single, moved to 2nd on a bunt and then Drew Cook hit a shot right back to Ernst just off the mound. Ernst threw it towards third to get Foster but the ball went up the line for the game’s first mistake and a 1-0 North Polk lead. It would knock Ernst from the mound; in came Brock Lemerick who gave up back-to-back 2 out RBI singles to Wrage and Cook to make it 3-0.
The Cyclones were now trailing and had not done anything against Wrage — until — the top of the 6th. All post-season long, the bottom of the Harlan order had done the job and this game was no exception. Wrage gave up a 1 out single to Hayden Soma. Josef Rice would hit into a fielders choice and then Wrage hit Landon Kaufman with a pitch. Up came #8 hitter Weston Reisz who continued a hot post season with a 2 run double down the right field line that went into the corner. In fact, the ball was right on the line with a cloud of chalk dust coming up. 2 runs scored and Harlan was back in game, now only trailing by one, 3-2.
Reisz’s hit would knock Wrage from the game, with Drew Cook getting the final out of the 6th but Cook ran into trouble in the 7th inning by hitting the first 2 batters. North Polk Head Coach Wyatt Zoske went to the bullpen again and got co-ace Hunter Cook. He promptly struck out Colton Schneider but Brett Heese earned a walk to load the bases. After Soma popped out, Josef Reisz lined a 2 out single to left to score the two hit batters (Matthew Sorfonden and Quinn Koesters) and suddenly, incredibly Harlan led 4-3.
Now it was the Comets turn to flip the tables. In the bottom of the 7th, Drew Owen started with a lead off single against Lemerick. He was bunted over to 2nd and Isaac Zoske walked, representing the game winning run. Pinch runner Bryan Burke came in and Harlan went to ace closer Freshman Colton Schneider. Wrage greeted him with a single to load the bases. Hunter Cook then hit a drive to left that looked like it would end the game but at the last second, Josef Reisz reached up and caught it for the 2nd out. Owen did not tag and scrambled back to third base. But that set the table for Fjelland who it over Reisz’s head and up against the left field wall to score the final 2 runs and send North Polk to the 3A semis.
Harlan ends their season at 27-9.
Harlan 4 runs, 5 hits, 1 error, 6 LOB
North Polk 5 runs, 12 hits, 2 errors, 9 LOB
Cook W 5-3
Lemerick L 6-2
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