Knights knock off Tigers in 2A tourney
Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Landry Folkens delivers a pitch during a Section 2A Baseball game against Springfield Tuesday at Riverside Park.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey Springfield’s Brecken Heiling throws the ball to first during a Section 2A Baseball game against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Tuesday at Riverside Park.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Merrick Mathiowetz tags out Springfield’s Aiden Moriarty during a Section 2A Baseball game Tuesday at Riverside Park.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Landry Folkens delivers a pitch during a Section 2A Baseball game against Springfield Tuesday at Riverside Park.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey Springfield’s Brecken Heiling throws the ball to first during a Section 2A Baseball game against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Tuesday at Riverside Park.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Merrick Mathiowetz tags out Springfield’s Aiden Moriarty during a Section 2A Baseball game Tuesday at Riverside Park.
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SPRINGFIELD -- Sleepy Eye St. Marys' Landry Folkens allowed just two hits as he led the seventh-seeded Knights to a 4-2 upset victory over second-seeded Springfield in the second round of the Section 2A Baseball Tournament on Tuesday.
Folkens put up six strikeouts in his complete-game win and walked another two, keeping a lethal Springfield offense at bay all game long.
"Just trusting my fielders and throwing strikes," Folkens said. "I knew if I threw strikes and they hit the ball, my fielders could field it. Just trust in my fielders … Mostly my fastball outside, just throwing strikes. Hoping that they hit it in play up in the air so our outfielders could catch the ball."
At the plate for St. Mary's, Jack Windschitl was 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Merrick Mathiowetz was 2 for 2. Folkens and Ethan Schwartz each had an RBI.
Madden Lendt took the loss for Springfield, striking out five while allowing two earned runs on three hits and five walks. At the plate, Max Moriarty and Aiden Moriarty had the two hits, with Thomas Beers and Kayden Anderson picking up RBIs.
St. Mary's put the pressure on right away in the first inning, with Tyler Mathiowetz scoring after reaching on an error, going to third on a single from Merrick Mathiowetz, then coming home on a ground out put into play by Folkens for a 1-0 lead. Springfield responded in the second, with Ely Streich reaching on a hit by pitch, stealing second and third base, then coming home on a bunt by Beers. St. Mary's seized the lead again in the top of the fourth, putting two runners on with walks then bringing one home on a single by Windschitl. Schwartz came home on the next at bat after an errant throwdown to third, making it a 3-1 game. The Knights tacked on another run in the fifth as an error put into play by Schwartz brought home Balko for a 4-1 lead.
"We just got to keep putting the ball in play," Folkens said. "At the start of the year, we had a lot of strikeouts. We're starting to put the ball into play and making them field the ball, and when you put the ball in play, a lot of good things happen."
Springfield cut the lead to 4-2 as a sacrifice bunt by Anderson scored Leo Hovland, but the St. Mary's held on for the remainder of the game. The Tigers looked like they might have a chance to put a runner in scoring position in the sixth as Aiden Moriarty put a well-hit ball to right field, but a throw from Balko to Merrick Mathiowetz beat Aiden Moriarty to second base for the out.
"We were locked in since we got on that bus," Folkens said. "Everybody wanted it. When Michael chased down that ball and chucked it to second base and Merrick was able to apply the tag on what should be a standup double, that just shows the grit and the want that our team has to keep going and keep playing."
St. Mary's (13-9) advances to play third-seeded Sleepy Eye at 5 p.m. Thursday at Eagles Park in Sleepy Eye.
"[It will take] a lot of grit," Folkens said. "We're going to have to stay locked in. It's a common opponent, we know what they got, they know what we got. Just a lot of grit and battle."
Springfield (18-5) will host Cleveland in the elimination bracket at 5 p.m. on Thursday.