Grafton claims ‘B’ crown

LAMOURE — Tournament MVP Jaime Villarreal notched his second win of the tournament, doing so in complete-game fashion as Grafton defeated Wahpeton if the Class B state Legion tournament in LaMoure on Sunday.

Villarreal allowed just one hit, walked three and struck out 10, giving him 18 strikeouts in the tournament to go along with a 2-0 record and a save.

Wahpeton got its run in the bottom of the first. Grafton scored just one run until the seventh inning before Thomas Houdek delivered a two-run single in the top of the seventh to give Grafton a 3-1 lead.

Houdek finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Wahpeton’s Tyler Gripentrog was nearly as good on the mound until the seventh inning when Grafton got to him for three runs.

Grafton went 5-0 in the tournament. Both teams advance to the Central Plains Regional, which will be played in Wahpeton this week.

LaMoure 4, Velva 1

Tournament-host LaMoure kept its season alive in the opening game Saturday thanks to the right arm of Chris Heinrich.

The Post 19 pitcher shut Velva down, tossing a complete game on just three hits in LaMoure’s 4-1 win.

Heinrich did walk seven batters, but he also registered six strikeouts. Velva got its lone run in the bottom of the seventh to avoid the shutout.

Brady and Tyler Thielges were each 1-for-3 with two RBIs apiece as Post 19 scored on in the top of the third inning and three more in the fifth, which is all Heinrich needed.

Devin Piehl added a double in the win for Post 19.

Grafton 6, Wahpeton 4

Grafton improved to 3-0 in the tournament, beating Wahpeton 6-4 Saturday in a match-up of the last two unbeatens in the field.

Wahpeton led 3-1 after three innings, but Grafton went ahead in the fourth with three runs and tacked on two more in the fifth to make it 6-3.

Austin Campbell and Logan Thompson each had two hits for Grafton. Kevin Tibert got the win in relief while Zach Suda notched the save with 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Jeremy Bontjes had a double and two RBI for Wahpeton.

Wahpeton 11, LaMoure 7 (8 innings)

Wahpeton broke a 7-all tie with four runs in the top of the eighth inning to eliminate LaMoure, 11-7.

Bontjes and Ryan Sheeley had RBI singles in the eighth. Sheeley finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Alex Lunnebord had three hits and scored three runs.

Brady Thielges belted a two-run home runs for LaMoure in its five-run bottom of the third inning as they erased a 4-0 deficit to take a 5-4 lead.

Wahpeton answered with four in the top of the third, but Post 19 hung two more up in the bottom of the frame to level it at 7-7 and it stayed that way until the eighth.

Wahpeton ace Bontjes worked 4 1/3 clean innings to get the win in relief, including eight strikeouts.

Jared Meiklejohn added two hits and two runs scored for LaMoure. Beau Diegel was charged with the loss in relief of Meiklejohn, who started the game on the mound.

Grafton 12, Washburn 2 (5 Innings)

Grafton made quick work of Washburn, improving to 4-0 and moving into the championship round.

Christian Lunde had three hits while Suda, Joe Demers and Logan Thompson added two each as Post 41 exploded with six runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back to end Washburn’s season.

Alex Martinson went all five innings on the mound for Grafton in his second start in three days.

Legion baseball

Class B State Tournament

At LaMoure

Saturday’s games

Loser out

LaMoure 4, Velva 1

LaMoure 001 030 0 — 4 5 0

Velva 000 000 1 — 1 3 0

Chris Heinrich and Tyler Thielges. Drew Effertz, Ryan Kuntz (5) and Zachary Podoll. W—Heinrich. L—Effertz. 2B—LaMoure, Devin Piehl, Brady Thielges. Jonathan Mack. 2B—Velva, Mack, Podoll.

Winner’s bracket

Grafton 6, Wahpeton 4

Grafton 010 320 0 — 6 9 1

Wahpeton 003 010 0 — 4 4 2

Sam Heuchert, Kevin Tibert (3), Zach Suda (5) and Ryan Dusek. Preston Kath, Ryan Sheeley (4) and Alex Lunnebord. W—Tibert. L—Sheeley. Save—Suda. 2B—Grafton, Joe Demers, Christian Lunde, Suda. Wahpeton, Cole Gilles 2, Jeremy Bontjes. 2B—Wahpeton, Lunnebord.

Loser out

Wahpeton 11, LaMoure 7, 8 Innings

Wahpeton 103 300 04 — 11 14 0

LaMoure 005 200 00 — 7 7 2

Ryan Sheeley, Preston Kath (3), Alex Lunnebord (4), Jeremy Bontjes (4) and Lunnebord, Kath (3). Jared Meiklejohn, Beau Diegel (5), Zach Stemen (8) and Tyler Thielges. W—Bontjes. L—Diegel. 2B—Wahpeton, Lunnebord. 3B—Wahpeton, Ryan Sheeley. HR—Wahpeton, Tyler Gripentrog. LaMoure, Brady Thielges. SB—LaMoure, Devin Piehl.

Grafton 12, Washburn 2, 5 Innings

Washburn 000 20 — 2 4 1

Grafton 603 12 — 12 11 0

Chance Kurle, Kirk Sailer (4) and Danny Henke. Alex Martinson and Ryan Dusek. W—Martinson. L—Kurle. 2B—Washburn, Mike Hausauer. Grafton, Jaime Villareal. 3B—Grafton, Joe Demers, Zach Suda. SB—Demers, Christian Lunde, Kevin Tibert.

Sunday

Championship

Grafton 4, Wahpeton 1

Grafton 000 100 3 — 4 6 0

Wahpeton 100 000 0 — 1 1 2

Jaime Villarreal and Ryan Dusek. Tyler Gripentrog, Jeremy Bontjes (7) and Alex Lunnebord. W—Villarreal. L—Gripentrog.

Tags: class b, legion baseball, sports, baseball