After some uncharacteristic struggles that led to a six-game winning streak, the Maple Grove American Legion Post 172 baseball team capped the regular season with an 11-6 win over Blaine on July 18 and got the momentum swinging in a positive direction in time for the start of the 2024 MN American Legion Baseball Sub-State 10 Tournament.
Maple Grove began the season 10-3 but needed a win to stop the six-game slide that saw the record fall to 10-9. They got that win to improve to 11-9 and were given the fourth seed in the sub-state 10 tournament at Memorial Field in Osseo.
The bats came alive against Blaine as Maple Grove scored 11 runs on 10 hits during an 11-6 victory. Seven different Maple Grove batters recorded a hit, led by Vann Olson with three and Henry Johnston with two.
Even though the game was at Gleason Field, Maple Grove was the technical away team. They opened the game with five runs in the first inning after the start of the game was delayed. They scored another five in the fourth after falling behind 6-5 and added an insurance run in the fifth.
Sam Hanson and Ian Schock had a team-high two RBI as everybody either drove in or scored a run in the game for Maple Grove. Brody Berglin, Olson, Connor Johnson, Hanson and Schock all scored twice. Maddex Van Slooten also scored.
Johnston and Schock both allowed three runs in two innings on the mound. Hagen struck out two in a scoreless inning.
Maple Grove (4) played Anoka (5) at noon on Wednesday in Osseo in the first round of the playoffs. The winner advances to play the winner of Elk River (1) and the winner of the play-in game at noon on Friday. The semifinals begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday and the finals begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
It’s a tough bracket but they have the depth in the lineup and on the pitching staff to make a successful run if they can play like they did through June.
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