The Indians took a 3-0 lead early in the game, but the Knights battled to tie it at 3 in the top of the sixth. But an errant throwdown allowed Anden Braun to come home from third base to score the final run of the game.

“Props to our kids, they’ve battled all year,” Sleepy Eye head coach Aaron Nesvold said. “They’ve never gotten to a point where they’ve given up. I knew that we had a chance if we could get some runners on, and we were able to muster that one across on an unfortunate error on their part, but we’ll take it.”

Karter Haala earned the win for Sleepy Eye, striking out two and allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk in six innings of work. Carson Uecker pitched the final inning for the save, striking out one and allowing one hit and one walk. At the plate, Braun had a hit, an RBI and a run scored, while Kayden Klein had a hit and an RBI.

Eli Christensen took the loss for St. Mary’s, striking out five and allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. At the plate, Adam Braulick had a hit and two RBIs, while Landry Folkens was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Merrick Mathiowetz added a hit and an RBI.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye’s Jacob Fulmer rounds second base during a Section 2A Baseball Tournament game against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Thursday at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.

“Overall, [Sleepy Eye] Public made some really good defensive plays throughout the game. You’ve got to give them credit for that,” St. Mary’s head coach Bruce Woitas said. “We helped them out by giving them free bases. We walked three, beaned four or five guys, and this time of year you can’t give up free bases. I think they only had three hits, and they made those hits count. We missed some opportunities, had some chances to score, and we didn’t get that clutch hit. But our kids battled back and made a game out of it. Some errors hurt us a little bit too. That’s playoff baseball. You’ve got to make those plays and make things happen.”

Sleepy Eye got its first two runs of the game on two-out rallies, with Klein doubling to bring home a run in the first, then Braun collecting an RBI single in the second.

“It’s kudos to the bottom of the order,” Nesvold said. “Anden, he had that second RBI, and for your nine guy to get that base hit and get a run in that way, that’s huge. Top to bottom, when we’re hitting the ball like we did today, good things happen.”

The Indians added a third run on an error put into play by Keeyan Netzke in the third inning, but St. Mary’s got on the board in the top of the fourth, with Mathiowetz collecting an RBI on a groundout that plated Michael Balko. Neither team put up a run in the fifth inning, but St. Mary’s loaded up the bases in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Braulick hit a double to bring home two runs to tie the game.

Braun got on base and advanced to second on an error in the bottom of the sixth, then took to third on a groundout put into play by Jacob Fulmer. Haala drew a walk, then as he looked to steal second, a throwdown to third base ended up in left field, allowing Braun to break the tie. Uecker took to the mound to close out the game, picking off a runner at first for the first out, earning a strikeout for the third and coaxing a groundout to third baseman Eric Lozano for the final out of the game.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Adam Braulick takes of for third during a Section 2A Baseball Tournament game against Sleepy Eye Thursday at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.

Sleepy Eye (20-4) now faces top-seeded Madelia in the section semifinals Saturday at 11 a.m. in Sleepy Eye.

“They’re tough as nails,” Nesvold said. “They’ve got a good pitching staff and a group of good baseball players. We didn’t fare so well in the first time we played them [13-2 in six innings on May 12], but we’re looking for the challenge again. We’ll be ready to play our game and see what happens.”

St. Mary’s (13-10), meanwhile, falls to the elimination bracket and will play fifth-seeded New Ulm Cathedral Saturday at 1 p.m. in Sleepy Eye. Woitas said his team still held the confidence that they could work their way back to the championship game through the elimination bracket.

“We had a rough start to our year,” he said. “Most of our nine [regular season] losses came earlier in our season. We feel we have good depth in our pitching staff, and we’re going to need that now. We need to step up, give it all we’ve got and continue to battle, because we’re going to see nothing but good teams from here on out.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye’s Carson Uecker (11) steals second as Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Mason Mathiowetz covers the base during a Section 2A Baseball Tournament game Thursday at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.