Cannon Falls Fastpitch Done Baseball Alive

The Cannon Falls Bombers baseball team lost to Belle Plaine 3-0 in Gaylord in the Section 2AA Tournament winner's bracket Saturday.  The fastpitch softball team won 2-0 before falling 12-2 in 6 innings.

Junior Abby Breuer threw a no-hitter for the Bombers in the first game but saw Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial collect multiple hits and runs in the team's final game of the season.  It was the Elimination Bracket of Section 2AA fastpitch softball.

Cannon Falls first baseman freshman Maddy Burr cracked a double producing a run in the first game.

Two seniors played their final fastpitch game for the Bombers.  Bella Davisson and Brooke Robinson.

The Bombers looked tired in the second contest.  They had to wait around while Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial was losing to Belle Plaine.

Class 2A top ranked and Section 2AA top seed LeSueur-Henderson breezed past Belle Plaine to advance to the overall title contest Thursday.  The Giants would have to lose twice for them not go to state.

Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial tangles with New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 5:00 p.m. Tuesday.  The winner then plays Belle Plaine for the right to play LeSueur-Henderson for a state tournament berth Thursday in North Mankato.

KDHL broadcast the baseball game at Walsh Field in Gaylord Saturday.  I then traveled to North Mankato to watch the Bombers fastpitch playoff games.

Cannon Falls leadoff hitter senior Owen Edstrom hit a 0-1 pitch hard back to Belle Plaine pitcher junior Jackson Kruger in the top of the first inning.  The ball glanced off his glove toward third base.  The third baseman threw low to first base.  I thought it was an error but the official scorer ruled it a hit.  A good throw would have recorded the out I thought.

It would be the only hit the Bombers could get off Kruger.  He struck out 8, walked 1 and hit a batter.  Cannon Falls would only hit four balls to the outfield.  Kruger has high velocity on his fastball but in my opinion his best pitch was his changeup.  It really kept the Bombers hitters off balance.

After Edstrom reached first base sophmore Elliott Nelson worked the count to 3-1 before executing a bunt to move Edstrom to second base.  He would not leave there.  Kruger focused to get a strikeout and a flyout.

Belle Plaine would score the only runs they would need in the bottom of the first inning. Cannon Falls pitcher junior Beau Zimmerman had a 7 pitch at bat with senior Derek Hoffman before a walk.  It was followed by another 7 pitch at bat by the next batter senior Joey Bergemeister.  Junior Luke Luskey hit a single to load the bases.

Sophmore Jake Brandenburg hit a RBI single. Jackson Kruger hit a sacrifice fly ball that scored a run.  During the next batter's plate appearance a wild pitch allowed Luskey to score.

Zimmerman would finish the game with 2 strikeouts, 6 walks, 3 hits allowed over 4 and 13 innings.  He threw 76 pitches, 41 strikes.  Marcus Banks came in with one out in the 5th inning.

Belle Plaine had a double hit by Bergemeister to start the 3rd inning.  The next batter Luskey hit a grounder to short that was fielded by Banks.  Bergemeister tried to advance to third base.  Banks threw the ball to Jonnny Monson who ran Bergemeister nearly all the way back to second base.

Just as the tag was made Luskey slid safely into second.  Luskey would advance to third base on a flyout by Brandenburg.  Kruger struck out to end the inning.

In the top of the third inning Nelson was hit by a pitch on a 0-2 count.  Kruger threw a wild pitch allowing him to advance to second base during the senior Riley Miller at bat.

Zimmerman struck out looking. Bombers catcher senior Loden Bell was walked to put runners at first and second.  Marcus Banks struck out swinging.

The Tigers had a runner picked off first base in the 4th inning and thrown out trying to steal third base in the 5th inning.

Kruger retired the last 10 Cannon Falls batters.  Four by strikeout.  He finished the game with 77 pitches thrown in 7 innings, 55 strikes.

The top seed in the tournament and #10 ranked in the state Belle Plaine improved to 17-4 and placed themselves one win away from state.

The Bombers move to the Elimination Bracket and play 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Gaylord against  the winner of the game between New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva and Sibley East.  The Cannon Falls contest will be broadcast on KDHL 920 AM, 97.9 FM and KDHL app.

The Panthers defeated #2 seed Blue Earth Area 5-2.  The Wolverines outlasted #3 seed Maple River 6-3.

Sibley East was the #4 seed, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva the #12 seed.  They play 5:00 p.m. Tuesday.

It's fun to check this out.