NEW BRIGHTON — The team most responsible for nearly costing Stillwater the Suburban East Conference championship played a critical role in helping the Ponies earn a share of the league title on the final day of the regular season.
After slipping into second place with an extra-inning loss at Cretin-Derham Hall on Friday, the Ponies needed nine innings to escape with a 5-2 road victory at Irondale on Monday, May 20.
Stillwater also received some needed help from Woodbury — which handed the Ponies (15-5) two of their conference losses. The Royals pulled off a wild come-from-behind 8-7 victory over East Ridge to leave the Ponies and Raptors as co-conference champions at 13-5, one game ahead of third-place Cretin-Derham Hall (12-6 SEC, 13-7) and Mounds View (12-6, 13-9).
It was a wild conclusion to competitive conference chase, with five of the league’s teams ranked in the top 10 for much of the season.
“I don’t think we were the favorites going in,” Ponies coach Mike Parker said. “I think it’s a testament to the hard work that our kids put in. It was definitely a little surprising at the end, but it just goes to show that every game matters and I thought our kids were able to get up for every game all year and that’s maybe what was the difference for us to kind of get there.”
The depth of the conference was also on display as Irondale (2-16 SEC, 4-16) nearly pulled off an upset that would have cost the Ponies a share of the title.
Stillwater carried a 1-0 lead into the sixth, but the Knights scored two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Charley Rowan and Owen Maslowski then singled in the top of the seventh and Jack Runk plated the tying run with a ground out to first base.
“I thought Rowan leading off the inning really gave us hope that we were going to score at least one run there,” Parker said.
The teams remained tied until the ninth when Stillwater used three walks, a double from Maslowski and RBI singles by Joe Fredkove and Ty Schroeder to grab a 5-2 lead.
AJ Levy, in his longest outing of the season, closed out the victory with his third straight scoreless inning of relief.
“It was a battle,” Parker said. “We had to use Levy for three innings and he stepped up.”
There was a sense of relief after the extra-inning victory and then jubilation after team members learned of Woodbury’s come-from-behind victory over East Ridge.
“It wasn’t until after the post-game talk we had with the kids and coach (Mike) Weiss was able to check his phone,” Parker said. “When the kids found out it went from, oh we survived this game and then into a big celebration.
“We didn’t play great, but I’m still proud of how they fought and knew they had to find a way to win. It was a different kind of conference championship feeling to being down and then winning a share of this is pretty special. I think this year and last year the conference is as good as it’s ever been.”
• Seeding for the Section 4AAAA tournament was announced on Wednesday and the Ponies received the top seed and will face eighth-seeded St. Paul Central in a first-round game at the University of Northwestern in Roseville on Memorial Day (Monday, May 27). Game time is 12:30 p.m.
East Ridge (14-6) received the No. 2 seed while Cretin-Derham Hall and Woodbury were seeded third and fourth. Losers bracket games and the winners bracket semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, May 29.
Still 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 — 5 13 0
Iron 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 — 2 6 2
WP: AJ Levy 3-ip, 3-h, 0-r, 0-er, 0-bb, 1-so
LP: NA 1 1/2-ip, 1-h, 3-r, 3-er, 3-bb, 0-so
Leading hitters: St, Charley Rowan 2x4, Blake Vanek 1x3, Owen Maslowski 3x5 (2B, RBI), Joe Fredkove 2x5 (2B, RBI), Henry Mested 1x2, Ty Schroeder 2x3 (RBI), Pat Lundgren 2x5 (RBI); Ir, Elliott Gustafson 3x4 (2B, RBI), Logan Wilmet 1x4 and Jax Marshall 2x4.
C-D Hall 5, Stillwater 4 (8)
At St. Paul, the Ponies could have clinched a share of the league title at Cretin-Derham Hall on Friday, May 17, but the Raiders pulled off the extra-inning heroics while taking down the Ponies 5-4 in eight innings.
After scoring a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game, Stillwater built a 4-2 lead in the top of the eighth on a lead-off homer by AJ Levy and a two-out, RBI double from Owen Maslowski.
“Being down late in the game and finding a way to score the runs to tie it up and go to the eighth and have AJ lead off with a homer run to take the lead was nice,” Ponies coach Mike Parker said. “To go out and get one more was a big deal when we got that second run on the board.”
But with one of its most famous alums in attendance, the Raiders stormed back with three runs in the bottom half on a walk-off homer by David Fleming.
It spoiled a strong outing from Dylan Bloom, who left with one out in the eighth after allowing five hits and five walks.
“Bloom pitched a great game,” Parker said.
The pregame festivities included an appearance by former Minnesota Twins standout and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer, whose number was retired by Cretin-Derham Hall earlier in the day.
“It was Joe Mauer Day and I don’t know how many runs that’s worth, but it has to be something,” Parker said. “It was a fun day because of that and having Joe Mauer at the game was neat.”
Levy also contributed a double among his three hits for the Ponies, who finished with just seven hits in all. Cretin-Derham Hall starter Paul Jones limited Stillwater to two runs on four hits with four walks in seven innings.
Still 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 — 4 7 1
C-D Hall 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 — 5 6 1
WP: Jack Driemen 1-ip, 3-h, 2-r, 2-er, 0-bb, 0-so
LP: Dylan Bloom 7 1/3-ip, 5-h, 4-r, 2-er, 5-bb, 1-so
Leading hitters: St, AJ Levy 3x4 (2B, HR, RBI), Blake Vanek 1x4, Owen Maslowski 1x4 (2B), Alex Boston 1x2 and Pat Lundgren 1x2; C-DH, Joe Fenlon 1x3, Brady Stoeklen 1x4, Jake Quinn 1x3 (2B), Davis Fleming 1x3 (HR, 3 RBI), Davon Castro 1x3 (RBI) and Lucas Ackland 1x3.
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