CL Legion ball season ends with playoff losses

The Chisago Lakes American Legion baseball team lost their first two playoff games in the double-elimination Substate 8 tournament to end their season. They were no-hit in a 10-0 loss to Lino Lakes last Tuesday, July 23. The next night, they lost 4-3 to Tri-City Blue. Both games were played at White Bear Lake South. The Wildcats finished the season with an 8-8 overall record.

Lino Lakes 10, Chisago Lakes 0 (7 innings)
In American Legion baseball playoffs, the games are expanded to nine innings. But Lino Lakes pitcher Grant Schneider needed just seven innings to beat the Wildcats in the first game, striking out 14 while walking two, hitting two and allowing no hits. Despite not hitting a ball hard for the entire game, the Wildcats trailed just 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh. But Wildcat pitching fell apart in the inning. Two Wildcat relievers combined to face nine batters, allowing three hits and walking five while recording just one out. Lino Lakes scored seven runs in the inning to go up 10-0, ending the game due to the ten run rule. Despite a little wildness, Wildcat starter Hunter Lindstrom kept Lino Lakes off the scoreboard through four innings, keeping the Wildcats in the game. In six innings of work, Lindstrom struck out seven, walked seven and allowed six hits.

Tri City Blue 4, Chisago Lakes 3
Trailing 4-3 entering the top of the ninth against Tri City Blue, the Wildcats put runners on first and second with two outs. But Tim Abrahamson struck out to end the game, and a Wildcat team with a lot of potential exited early from the substate playoffs. The Wildcats got on the board early in this one. With one out in the top of the second, Gabe Gustafson singled, Mitch Berg walked and Mark Sontag singled to load the bases. Colton Mueller worked the count to 3-2 before walking to drive in the game’s first run. Sam Birkholz followed with a bunt to squeeze in Berg from third and the Wildcats led 2-0. The score remained that way till the bottom of the fifth inning. Tri City Blue parlayed a walk, an error and a double into two runs to tie the game at 2-2. They scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead over the Wildcats.

Tri City Blue added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on a walk, a hit batter and a couple of passed balls. With one out in the top of the eighth, Abrahamson led off with a sharp single to right. Sam Birkholz followed with a single to right center. Abrahamson scored on two wild pitches. Mile Turk struck out for the second out. Dylan Magnuson walked to put runners on first and third, but Kellen Reed grounded to third to end the inning. In the top of the ninth, Berg singled to right with two outs and nobody on. Sontag followed with a single to left to put runners on first and second. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. But Abrahamson took a called third strike and the Wildcats went down to defeat. Reed went the distance on the mound for the Wildcats. In eight innings, he allowed four runs (three earned), allowed just five hits, walked four and struck out three. He controlled his knuckleball well throughout the game, keeping the Tri City Blue hitters off balance and giving his team a chance to win.