Post 18 avoids upset in round one

It took a while, but there was some life in the little Class B team from Alexandria.

Trailing by seven runs in the first round of the Class A state Legion baseball tournament Wednesday evening at Cadwell Park, something finally turned on Alexandria’s offense.

It batted 12 men in the fifth inning, picking up five hits and tied the game at 7.

It wasn’t enough.

Mitchell — which played in front of an estimated crowd of 1,500 — continued to score and got its biggest hit on a bases-clearing, three-RBI triple from Collin Moen in the seventh to avoid a first-round upset and beat Alexandria 13-10.

Post 18 moves on to the winner’s bracket and will face Sioux Falls East at approximately 8 p.m. today.

“It was a good lesson today,” Mitchell coach Luke Norden said. “We had guys thinking they had to do too much and carry the team. We need to have one goal in mind and have everyone on the same page, and that’s to win a state championship.”

After Alexandria tied the game in the fifth, it scored three more runs in the final four innings, but it wasn’t enough. Pierce Smith had a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to score Chris Welch, but Cody London made a diving play in the left-field foul territory to end the threat.

In the seventh, Tracy Hofer scored on a Cole Wenande bloop RBI single to left, and Bartscher came across in the ninth for a meaningless run.

“We come in here and I told the kids to be loose,” Alexandria coach Jerry Smith said. “But everybody wants to come out and win. We had some jitters, but we came back and scored seven in one inning.

“It’s one of those deals where I’m proud of the kids for being here, because we could have been (10-run ruled) after the seventh inning. But they fought back.”

Mitchell had its own big inning, too.

It built its seven-run lead on a five-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run Nick Young homer to left-center field. Josh Schmidt, Moen and Zach London each scored on miscues by Alexandria’s defense.

Mitchell added one in the first off a two-out RBI triple by Kyle Larson and London scored in the second.

Jamie Huber helped Post 18 keep an early lead in the first four innings by getting Alexandria hitters off balance.

He didn’t allow a runner past second until the fifth.

“Huber threw wonderful; he was lights out,” Norden said. “Then he goes out in the fifth inning and tries to be too perfect. He was trying put the ball on a pop can, and he was aiming the ball everywhere. That’s what got him in trouble.”

Huber threw 4.2 innings, allowing eight hits and six earned runs. He walked five and struck out two.

Smith started for Alexandria. He threw 6.2 innings and gave up 12 hits and nine earned runs.

After the game was tied, the teams exchanged runs until the seventh, when Moen’s shot to right scored Young, Schmidt and Brent Havlik.

For Mitchell, Schmidt and London each had three hits and Buck, Young and London each had two RBIs.

“That’s how we’ve lost ballgames this summer,” Norden said of his team allowing Alexandria’s big inning, “But it’s nice to see us win a game after that.”

For Alexandria — which will play Aberdeen at approximately 1 p.m. today and start Tyson Gau — Welch and Hofer each had three hits. Welch had three RBIs and Hofer had two.

Tags: legion baseball, class a state tournament, post 18, our towns, sports, baseball, alexandria