Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye VFW’s Landon Wendinger slides into third during a Second District VFW Baseball Tournament game against Mankato VFW Friday at Wolverton Field in Mankato.

By Ari Selvey

Journal Sports Writer

MANKATO — Despite scoring the tying run in the top of the seventh, Sleepy Eye VFW allowed two runs in the bottom of the inning to fall to Mankato VFW 6-5 Friday at Wolverton Field, getting eliminated from the Second District VFW Baseball Tournament.

Cole Eckstein took the loss for Sleepy Eye, giving up six earned runs on six hits while striking out one. At the plate for Sleepy Eye, Tyler Mathiowetz was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Kayden Klein had a triple and an RBI.

Sleepy Eye scored first, with Eckstein singling then stealing home on a double steal with Landon Wendinger. Mankato tied it back up in the bottom of the inning.

Sleepy Eye retook the lead in the second inning, with Mathiowetz getting an RBI single and Klein getting an RBI triple to give Sleepy Eye a 3-1 lead.

They increased this lead to 4-1 in the third with Wendinger reaching home on a wild pitch. Mankato responded with two runs in the third and two in the fourth to take their first lead of the game, 5-4.

Neither team scored in the fifth or sixth, but in the top of the seventh, Mathiowetz scored on an error to tie the game up. However, Mankato loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, and a walk-off single gave them the victory.