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Chisago Lakes 6, Zumbrota-Mazeppa 3 (4 inning)

The Wildcats defeated the Zumbrota-Mazeppa Cougars 6-3 Monday May 19 at First National Bank of River Falls Field in a game shortened to four innings because of weather conditions.  Lucas Weinzetl went the distance, allowing three runs – all unearned, on four hits.  He walked one and struck out one.

In the bottom of the first inning, Kellen Meissner singled with one out.  One out later, Weinzetl singled and Xander Breitenbach walked to load the bases.  Trenton Travis walked on a 3-2 count and Meissner jogged across the plate to put the Wildcats up 1-0.  In the second, Bleymeyer reached on an error, Anderson walked, and Meissner singled to right to drive in Bleymeyer to make it 2-0.  In the top of the third, a single, a walk, three errors and a hit batter led to two runs for the Cougars, tying the game at 2-2.

The Wildcats broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the inning.  Weinzetl and Breitenbach walked to open the inning.  Travis grounded out to short, moving the two runners up a base.  Chuck Gilman singled to left to drive in Weinzetl.  Bleymeyer’s grounder to second forced Gilman out at second, but Bleymeyer reached first and Breitenbach scored to push the Wildcat lead to 4-2.  Jadon Greene doubled to right, moving Bleymeyer to third.  Brayden Anderson lined a single to center to score both runners, and the Wildcats led 6-2.  Weinzetl hit the first batter in the bottom of third inning, and that runner moved to second on a passed ball.  Two outs later, he scored on a single.  The next batter singled as well, but the final batter of the game grounded out to second baseman Caleb Dicosimo.  The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, and the Wildcats had their eighth win of the season.

Chisago Lakes 6, St. Francis 5 (9 innings)

Despite three home runs from St. Francis’ Cooper Fiskewold, the Wildcats came away with a 6-5 extra inning win over the St. Francis Fighting Saints Thursday, May 22 at St. Francis High School.  Zander Bleymeyer picked up the win in relief of starter Kellen Meissner, who went seven innings.  Carson Drury and Trenton Travis each drove in a run in the top of the ninth, and the Wildcats ended up needing the two-run cushion as Fiskewold’s home run in the bottom of the inning kept things close until the very end.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning, when the Wildcats scored four times with two outs.  Meissner and Xander Breitenbach walked to lead off the inning.  Chuck Gilman struck out.  Meissner was forced at third on Jadon Greene’s grounder to third for the second out.  The runners moved up on a passed ball.  Brayden Anderson singled up the middle to score both runners, and the Wildcats led 2-0.  Anderson moved to second on a passed ball.  Cole Stilp singled, advancing Anderson to third.  Anderson scored on the third passed ball of the inning, with Stilp moving to second.  Carson Drury’s double to center scored Stilp, and the Wildcats led 4-0.  With two runners on and on out in the bottom of the inning, Fiskewold homered to center, cutting the Wildcats lead to 4-3.  And with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Fiskewold launched an 0-1 pitch over the center field fence for his second dinger of the game to tie it up at 4-4.

In the top of the ninth, Jadon Greene, Anderson, and Stilp singled to load the bases with no outs.  Drury lined a single to left to drive in one run, and one out later Travis singled to left to drive in one more run, and the Wildcats led 6-4.  In the bottom of the inning, Bleymeyer struck out the first batter and the second batter popped out.  Fiskewold worked the count to 3-2 against Bleymeyer before he blasted a home run to right field, cutting the Wildcat lead to 6-5.  The next batter reached on an infield hit, but the final batter of the game popped out to second baseman Nick Bjelland to end the game.

Meissner went seven innings for the second start in a row.  He allowed four runs – three earned – on nine hits, walked one and struck out ten.  In the final two innings, winning pitcher Bleymeyer allowed one earned run on two hits, did not walk anyone and struck out one.  Fiskewold’s three homers left him one short of tying the state record for hoe rums in a game.  

Wildcat assistant coach Tyler Henderson is one of several players who have hit four home runs in a Minnesota high school game.  He hit four homers in a game at Columbia Heights in 2009.

Section Playoffs

The Wildcats’ (9-10) four game winning streak to end the season helped to vault them over Hermantown to the number four seed in the QRF rankings.  The win against St. Francis giving the Wildcats yesterday’s Section 7AAA home game at Pat Collins Field at Chisago Lakes High School (assuming it didn’t rain) against the Hermantown to open the 2025 section playoffs.  The game was played after the deadline for this week’s Press.

If the Wildcats won, they will face the winner of top-seeded Grand Rapids and eighth-seeded North Branch today.  If Grand Rapids beat North Branch, the Wildcat would head up to Grand Rapids.  If North Branch won, the Wildcats will host a home game tonight at Chisago Lakes High School.  If the Wildcat lost to Hermantown yesterday, they will face the loser of the Grand Rapids/North Branch game at the home field of the high seed today.

Teams who haven’t been eliminated will continue to play at the home field of the high seed on Saturday.  The tournament will shift to North Branch High School on Tuesday, June 3 and Wednesday June 4 to determine the Section 7AAA champion for 2025.  You can track the bracket at mshsl.org.

As always, the Wildcats’ chances will come down to pitching.  Kellen Meisner, Xander Bleymeyer, Lucas Weinzetl and the rest of the Wildcat staff will need to pitch their best baseball of the spring in order for the Wildcats to get to the state tournament for the first time ever.  Momentum is huge, too, and the Wildcats head into the playoffs riding a four-game winning streak.  It can happen any year, and with an upset or two this could be the year for the Wildcats.

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