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The Bulldog baseball team, which appeared headed for their second state tournament ever this year, had their season abruptly ended when they lost their first two games of the District 1B tournament at beautiful Cold Spring Baseball Field last Saturday, knocking them out of the double-elimination tournament and leaving them with the question – what happened?

The answer is mostly a lack of hitting. The Bulldogs were one of the best hitting teams in Class B in the state this year, but their bats fell mostly silent. A streak of wildness from their relief pitchers against the St. Joseph Joes did not help, and some errors and a baserunning blunder also contributed to the downfall. So, the Bulldogs are left with an offseason of questions and an even greater resolve to get to the state tournament next year.

St. Joseph 6, Chisago Lakes 1

In their first playoff game, the Bulldogs led 1-0 after six innings of shutout baseball pitched by starter Jacob Mickelson.  Calvin Coppersmith drove in the Bulldogs’ only run with a first inning single.  The Bulldogs had squandered several scoring opportunities at that point in the game, having left ten runners on base. But with a solid pitching corps available in relief, they were in a good position to win a close game.

Tommy Meyer came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning. An error by shortstop Reed Marquardt, a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to the Joes’ best hitter put runners on first and second with one out. A ground ball made it through the right side of the infield, and one run scored to tie the game at 1-1. After Meyer struck out the next batter, he walked the two after that to force across another run and gave St.Joe’s a 2-1 lead. Beau Fandel came in to relieve Meyer and struck out the next batter to end the rally.

Fandel, who had been dominant after his recent return from injury, struggled in the top of the eighth. He hit the first two batters and allowed three straight singles, and rather suddenly the score was 5-1. Reed Marquardt came in with two runners on to relieve Fandel. He walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. After he struck out the next batter, a sacrifice fly drove in another run. Marquardt struck out the final batter of the inning to end the rally. The Bulldogs got two on with two out in the bottom of the eighth, but Ty Escobedo flew out to shallow center to end the inning. Brendan Hemr walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but the Bulldogs went down 1-2-3 after that to complete the 6-1 loss and dropped to the elimination bracket to face the Cold Spring Springers, surprise losers to the Princeton Panthers in one of the most bizarre endings to a baseball game ever seen.

Cold Spring 5, Chisago Lakes 4

Trailing 5-2 in the top of the ninth against Cold Spring, the Bulldogs staged a spirited rally but ultimately fell one run short, losing 5-4. It was second year in a row that the Bulldogs lost to the Springers by one run in an elimination game in the District 1B tournament. Bailey Kasprowicz, with a solid, gritty performance in his return from a three-week layoff due to injury, was the hard-luck loser.

The Bulldogs got off to a good start.  Beau Fandel walked to lead off the top of the second. Alex Wilkey followed with a single to right, and Tyler Stilp sacrificed the runners to second and third. After Calvin Coppersmith struck out, Fandel scored on a wild pitch, Lucas Weinzetl singled up the middle to score Wilkey, and the Bulldogs led 2-0. In the top of the third the Bulldogs put runners on first and second with one out. Fandel hit fly ball to medium deep center field. Basernner Ty Escobedo took several steps toward third, faking an attempt to advance. But the throw came in behind Escobedo, and he was tagged out after a rundown, ending a potential rally by the Bulldogs.

With the Bulldogs leading 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Springers had runners on second and third and one out. The batter hit a line drive right back at Kasprowicz. He caught the ball and turned to fire to first to complete the double play. But the errant throw got by first baseman Wilkey, and a run scored to tie the game at 2-2. The Bulldogs bats fell largely silent for the next four innings. Cold Spring added a run in the bottom of the sixth to go up 3-2. In the bottom of the eighth, a single, a fielder’s choice bunt and a sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second with one out. A double to left center drove in both runners, and the Springers led 5-2. Jacob Mickelson came in to relieve Kasprowicz and got the next two batters to end the rally.

Wilkey walked to open the top of the ninth. After Stilp popped out, Calvin Coppersmith singled to left, moving pinch runner Caden Coppersmith to second. Lucas Weinzetl flew out to center, and the Bulldogs were down to their last out. Brayden Anderson lined a single to right to drive in Caden Coppersmith and cut the Cold Spring lead to 5-3. Escobedo lined a single to left and Calvin Coppersmith scored to pull the Bulldogs within one run at 5-4. Brendan Hemr stepped up to the plate. He took two fastballs to go down 0-2 in the count. The third pitch was well outside, but Hemr swung at it for strike three, and the game, the tournament and the season were over for the Bulldogs.

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