Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye Junior Legion swarms Eli Christensen (far left) after he delivers the final strikeout of the Southwest Sub-State Junior Legion Baseball Championship against Springfield Tuesday at Sleepy Eye Ball Park.

SLEEPY EYE — Bottom of the seventh, two outs, runners on the corners, full count.

That was the situation that Sleepy Eye Junior Legion pitcher Eli Christensen found himself in during the Southwest Sub-State Junior Legion Baseball Championship game against Springfield Junior Legion on Tuesday. And at the plate, Madden Lendt, who Sleepy Eye considered as Springfield’s top hitter.

Lendt had already burned Sleepy Eye for a triple, a double and two runs scored during the game, and another extra base hit could erase Sleepy Eye’s 6-4 lead. Sleepy Eye intentionally walked Lendt in a similar situation earlier in the game, and Lendt had yet to not get on base during a plate appearance.

But Christensen didn’t back down, delivering a fastball on the outside edge of the plate to get a swinging strikeout, ending the game and sending Sleepy Eye to the state tournament.

“That was storybook,” Sleepy Eye head coach Brandon Streich said. “Great, competitive game, high energy, high intensity. Give credit to Springfield, they brought it to us, and we brought it to them. That’s how competitive playoff baseball should be.”

Christensen said the key to the at-bat was keeping things away from the center of the strike zone.

“He’s a great hitter, so you can’t really throw anything over the plate, otherwise he’s going to hit it,” Christensen said. “So I was trying to keep the balls outside. And then I threw a curveball, and the ump called it a strike, so that was pretty good. Then I threw a fastball outside and he swung.”

Carson Uecker, the Sleepy Eye catcher, said the team is playing its best baseball of the season as it hits the state tournament in Hayfield, starting on August 8.

“Last year, we came short to Luverne, which kind of sucked,” he said. “We had our ups and downs this year, especially in the [Junior] Upper Midwest [Classic], we were struggling there, but then we just got together these past couple of games, and we started hitting the ball and working as a team and came together.

Christensen earned the win for Sleepy Eye, striking out three and allowing no hits, walks or runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched.

“I’ve never been to state for anything before, and both my brothers went to state,” Christensen said. “So now they can stop making fun of me for not going.”

Karter Haala made the start, striking out one and allowing four runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. At the plate for Sleepy Eye, Landry Folkens was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, while Uecker had a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Adam Braulick had a hit and two runs scored, and Merrick Mathiowetz and Jacob Fulmer each had a hit and a run scored.

Adiel Trevino took the loss for Springfield, striking out two and allowing two runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings. Eli Heglund made the start, striking out two and allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. At the plate, Lendt was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, while Brecken Heiling had a hit and two RBIs. Trevino was 2 for 4 with a run scored, and Ely Streich had a hit, an RBI and a run scored.

Both teams set the tone for the game in the first inning. Lendt led off the game with his triple, then was brought home on a sacrifice bunt from Heiling to give Springfield a 1-0 lead. Braulick reached on an error in the bottom of the inning, then Uecker hit his second career home run over the left field fence. Uekcer’s first home run came during school ball, but Uecker said this one felt different.

“That did not feel like this one,” Uecker said. “This one felt very good. I was just going up there looking to get a fastball, got me, then a read a curveball out of the hand, read the timing, and just took it. It felt very good, get the momentum up, take the early lead.”

Sleepy Eye loaded up the bases as Heglund hit two batters and Folkens reached on an error, then Haala drew a walk to make it a 3-1 game. However, a line out ended the inning without any further damage.

Springfield kept up the offensive pressure, with a single from Brayden Trapp helping Ely Streich to score on a throwing error in the second, then a triple from Streich scoring Adiel Trevino in the third. Sleepy Eye was able to get some base runners on in both innings, including loading the bases again in the second, but were unable to get the extra hit as the game sat at a 3-3 tie.

Sleepy Eye got things going again in the fourth as Folkens singled to bring home Braulick and retake the lead. However, Springfield responded in the top of the sixth as Heiling singled to plate Lendt off of a double.

In the bottom of the sixth, Uecker drew a walk, advanced to second and stole third, then Mathiowetz drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Mathiowetz stole second to set up Folkens with two runners in scoring position, and Folkens delivered, singling to bring both home for a 6-4 lead.

“It was big,” Folkens said. “I’ve been struggling in the playoffs recently, so it was nice to come back and put one on the board for our team and bring the team up there.”

Folkens was thrown out attempting to advance to second to end the inning, but the damage was done as Sleepy Eye had just one inning to get through on defense to win the game. Trapp and Elisandro Trevino were both hit by pitches, then Trapp took second as Logan Shoen grounded into a fielder’s choice, putting Lendt up to bat. Christensen delivered, giving Sleepy Eye the championship.

“The kids are really resilient,” coach Streich said. “They focus on the next-up mentality. They do a really good job of staying even-keeled and they play for each other and accept their different roles. They’re playing really well and it shows. They’re really cohesive with each other. As a coach, you don’t want anything more than that.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey
Sleepy Eye Junior Legion’s Carson Uecker (11) celebrates with his team after hitting a home run during the Southwest Sub-State Junior Legion Baseball Championship against Springfield Tuesday at Sleepy Eye Ball Park.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey
Sleepy Eye Junior Legion swarms Eli Christensen (far left) after he delivers the final strikeout of the Southwest Sub-State Junior Legion Baseball Championship against Springfield Tuesday at Sleepy Eye Ball Park.