Maple Grove Legion baseball struggles during weekend tournament

The Maple Grove Legion Post 172 hosted a tournament over the weekend in preparation for the sub-state playoffs that begin next week. The Maple Grove team has been having a strong summer but struggled over the weekend.

Maple Grove played Monticello on July 8 and Coon Rapids on July 10 before hosting the weekend tournament. Maple Grove shutout Monticello 6-0 and took down Coon Rapids 8-5.

Over the weekend, Maple Grove went 0-5. They opened the weekend with a 7-5 loss to Wausau on July 12, went 0-2 against Lincoln East and Mankato National on Saturday and closed the tournament with another 0-2 day on Sunday.

Three pitchers combined to shut out Monticello. Ian Schook allowed one hit over 3.2 innings, Henry Johnston allowed one hit over 2.1 innings and Evan O’Dwyer finished the game with a scoreless inning.

After the teams were scoreless over the first two innings, Maple Grove scored in every inning beginning in the third and won 6-0. Connor Johnson went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Sam Hanson also had two RBI. Brody Berglin, O’Dwyer and Becker Kalscheuer also recorded hits in the win.

Against Coon Rapids, Maple Grove led 5-2 after two innings and hung on to win 8-5. Coon Rapids scored once in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings but it was too little too late.

Sam Hagen allowed two runs in 2.2 innings. Johnston allowed two runs (one earned) over 3.1 innings and Berglin allowed one run in one inning. They combined to strike out six.

Vann Olson was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Maddex Van Slooten, Schock, Kalscheuer and Hagen had an RBI each. Berglin scored twice while Schock, Hanson, Kalscheuer, Hagen and Zac Ruhr also scored runs.

After going 0-5 during the tournament, Maple Grove is now 10-8 this summer with four games remaining before the sub-state playoffs begin next week.

On Monday, Maple Grove hosted Link Lakes and on Tuesday they had a doubleheader against Anoka. On Thursday, July 18, they end the regular season with a road game at Blaine.

The sub-state playoffs begin on Tuesday, July 23. Maple Grove likely won’t play until Wednesday, July 24.