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After their improbable section run, the North Branch high school baseball team had a memory-filled state tournament, despite the results.

They opened their tourney with a match up against Benilde-St. Margaret’s, the third seed in the bracket.

Through the first four innings, North Branch was in it  for the upset. Benilde’s only run was a manufactured tally in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Jack Qualen walked and then was sacrificed over to second before being hit in by three-hole hitter Derek Drees.

Starter Jimmy Skroch locked in after that, allowing only one hit and striking out seven over the next three innings.

But, the North Branch offense couldn’t get anything rolling in the meantime. Benilde’s Mitch Melquist had a perfect game going at the time, not allowing a single NB baserunner.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, disaster struck for the Vikings after a tough play. Skroch got the first out of the inning on a ground out but then walked the next batter and gave up a single to the next, putting runners at first and third with one out.

Skroch coaxed a strikeout from the two-hole hitter, bringing Drees up with runners at the corners and two outs.

During his second pitch, Skroch made a beautiful pickoff at first base and caught the runner in a pickle,  but the defense around him panicked a bit with the runner on third. They threw it home before the runner ever took off from third base and the BSM runner was allowed to advance to second.

Drees made them pay for the extra out, ripping a single to left field and putting the Red Knights up 3-0. A stolen base and hit later, and BSM stretched their lead to 4-0.

In the top of the sixth, North Branch strung together their only threat on the night. Brady Brodin hit a tough chopper down third base line and Drees bounced a throw to the first baseman, who couldn’t come up with the scoop, ruining Melquist’s perfect game.

The next two batters struck out, but then Nick Fairbanks tapped a ball into no-mans-land between the pitcher and catcher. Both hesitated to go for the ball, allowing him to reach with North Branch’s first hit of the night.

With runners on first and second and the leadoff hitter on, Jared Kozar couldn’t come through, grounding out to the shortstop for the last out of the game.
Skroch gave up two hits to lead of the sixth before getting the hook for Dylan Ramberg.

The Vikes were again this close to getting out of the inning unscathed, but the ump ruled Skroch missed a tag on in a rundown that would’ve made the third out. Again, BSM made the Vikes pay, scoring four runs with two outs and putting the game out of reach at 8-0.

In the first match up of the consolation bracket, North Branch faced second-seeded Northfield, who had been upset by Henry Sibley in the first round. The Raiders were ruthless in the game, winning 20-0 in five innings after an 11-run first inning.

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