CLOQUET—Even though Post 239 coach Jamie Lindseth has been around his team the whole summer, he still gets surprised at how his team plays through adversity.
Post 239 had enough adversity against Hibbing Thursday, but they got enough timely hits and good defense to come away with a 6-5 victory over Post 222 in an Eighth District Substate playoff game at Ed Mettner Field.
Post 239 stays alive in the tournament and will play either Grand Rapids, East Duluth or Proctor/Hermantown at 3:30 p.m. today.
“We’re short-handed, and we had that VFW run,” Lindseth said. “Like most clubs, we have a mix of VFW and legion kids. On Wednesday, they came out and grinded hard. They didn’t let a bad bounce get to them.
“They play for each other. They keep surprising me. I’ve seen a lot of good baseball players, but even more so, a lot of good, young men. Every time somebody tells them they’re not supposed to win, it’s a challenge.”
Both teams were challenged throughout the whole game.
There wasn’t one clean inning in any frame, but Lindseth kind of expected that with Hibbing.
“They’re a nice club,” Lindseth said. “Right up to that last swing with DK. They throw the ball well. They don’t give you anything. We had to earn everything today.”
For Hibbing, it was a case of missed opportunities.
Post 222 had the bases loaded with one out in the first, but Post 239 was able to turn a 6-3 double play to get out of the inning.
Post 239 also had their share of missed opportunities, but in the second, they didn’t waste that chance to score.
Sam Ray, Will Kemp and Joey Aho all singled, then Jake Bailey singled home a run, followed by an RBI single by Harley Mott.
Post 222 was fortunate enough to get out of the inning on a 1-2-3 double play to keep the damage to a minimum.
Hibbing needed to respond and it did in the second.
Luke Nelson had an infield hit, then with one out, Beau Frider singled and when his ball was misplayed in left, they moved up a base.
Nelson would score on a wild pitch, which moved Frider to third.
Edric Cardona walked, then he stole second. The throw went out to centerfield, allowing Frider to score the tying run.
Hibbing took a 3-2 lead in the fourth as Sundquist hit an RBI infield single, but Post 239 came back to tie it on an RBI double by Connor Saxhaug in the fifth.
A wild pitch and a walk later, Post 239 took a 4-3 lead when Kemp singled through the left side of the infield.
Joey Aho reached on an error to load the bases, then Harley Mott walked to force home a run.
Frider, who was pitching in relief of Nelson, got the next hitter on a fielder’s choice ground ball to get out of the inning.
Hibbing rallied in the bottom of the fifth when Kruse struck out, but he reached on a wild pitch.
After he stole second, Logan Gietzen singled him to third. Kruse would score on a passed ball, but Post 222 put runners on second and third with one out.
Aho, who was pitching for Post 239, got a fly out and groundout to keep his team up 5-4.
Post 239 got a single by Caz Carlson in the sixth, then Reid walked.
Carson took off for third. The throw beat him there, but it got past Post 222’s third baseman, allowing Carlson to score to make it 6-4.
“We had just enough hits,” Lindseth said. “In some cases, it was the bottom of the order, too. Some kids who had been struggling a little bit to barrel up a ball. They came through today.
“At this point, we’re rolling through the pitchers. It’s a next-guy-up mentality. It’s summer. It’s baseball.”
Hibbing had a runner cut down at the plate in the sixth, but Post 222 loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning with two out as Mammenga reached on a fielder’s choice and Kruse and Gietzen both walked.
Augustine drew a base-loaded walk to make it 6-5, ending Aho’s day on the mound.
Mott came on in relief and faced Nelson.
Mott did his job by getting Nelson to fly out to end the threat.
Post 239 left the bases loaded in their half of the seventh to set the stage for Hibbing in the bottom of the seventh.
“We left 13 guys on base,” Lindseth said. “We could have opened it up, but we didn’t, but they left a lot of guys on base. We got some timely outs. It was an exciting, well-played game.
After a strikeout, Frider singled up the middle putting the tying run on base.
Jack Bautch drew a walk, putting the winning run on first, and rolling over Post 222’s offense to the top of the order.
Sundquist reached on an error to load the bases with one out.
Mott got a strikeout, then he faced Kruse, who flew out to deep right field to end the game.
“I’m thankful to have the opportunity to work with these kids,” Lindseth said. “They keep working their tails off. They don’t get down. They bend but don’t break, even when they’re supposed to.
“We’re glad to play another day. We’ll figure out the pitching today.”
Hibbing got knocked down to the elimination bracket after falling 8-6 to Proctor/Hermantown Wednesday.
Post 106 got on the board first when Garron Opsahl doubled in the first inning and took third on a groundout.
He scored on a passed ball.
Proctor/Hermantown took a 3-0 lead after 2 ½ innings when Nick Terhaar hit a two-run triple in the third, then they made it 6-0 after 3 ½ innings with a three-run fourth.
Tyler Berglund had a run-scoring single, and River Freeman hit a two-run double.
Post 222 finally got on the board with a three-run fourth inning.
Walks to Luke Nelson and Gavin Lamphere, then a passed ball, put runners on second and third with one out.
Beau Frider hit an RBI groundout, then Noah Sundquist hit a two-run home run to make it 6-3.
Post 106 would get two runs in the seventh as Opsahl walked with the bases loaded, then Berglund hit an RBI fielder’s choice ground ball.
Trailing by five, Hibbing made a valiant attempt climb back into the game in the seventh.
Dane Mammenga started it with walk, then Dakota Kruse hit a two-run home run, his second of the day, to make it 8-5.
Kadin Augustine reached on a fielder’s choice, then with two out, Edric Cardona walked.
Gavin Lamphere singled to fill the bases, then Frider hit a single to make it 8-6.
A pop out to short ended the inning and game.
Kruse started for Hibbing, tossing four innings. He gave up six hits, struck out five and walked three. Sundquist worked two inning, giving up two hits. He struck out one and walked three. Mammenga worked one inning, giving up two hits, striking out two and walking two.
Freeman tossed five innings for Proctor/Hermantown. He gave up eight hits, struck out four and walked four. Landin Heinlen tossed one inning, giving up one hit, striking out one and walking two. Wyatt Mineheine worked one inning giving up two hits, stirking out one and walking one.
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