By Chad Koenen

Publisher

You know what they say about playing with a sleeping giant—you better hope you don’t wake it up, or risk facing the consequences. That’s probably the best way to describe the Class A state baseball semi-finals game between New York Mills and Sebeka on Tuesday.

After both teams were held scoreless through three innings, a powder keg went off in the top of the fourth inning in the form of a Spencer Lake 2-run home run for Sebeka. The home run gave the Trojans a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning, but also awoke a giant in the form of the NY Mills Eagles. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning the Eagles erupted for 9 runs on 9 hits and 2 errors. Drey Roberts got the rally going with a one out single. Jonah Rather pinch ran for Roberts and advanced to third base on a single and throwing error off the bat of Bren Salo. He would eventually score on a Brayden Ehnert RBI single to the short stop. A throwing error led to 2 more runs to cross the plate. Jacob Guck earned a bases loaded walk and Jonah Johnson followed with a 2-run single. 

The Eagles got another run on a wild pitch and a Derin Gaudette hit a 2-run double and Roberts would eventually get an RBI single to help the Eagles take a 9-2 lead. 

Just one inning later the Eagles struck again when Cale Rudolph led off the inning with a walk and Jace Rudolph was hit by the pitch. Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly and Jace Rudolph scored on an RBI single of hit own to make the game 11-2. 

Sebeka added 2 more runs in the top of the seventh inning, but fell to the Eagles by a score of 11-4. It was the third time the Eagles have defeated the Trojans this season as they met each other twice during Park Region Conference action. 

Roberts picked up the win on the mound as he gave up just 1 hit and 1 earned run over 5 innings of action. He also struck out 8 hitters. Bren Salo pitched the final 2 innings of the game and gave up just 2 hits and 1 earned run, while also striking out 1 hitter. 

Johnson had a big game from the plate as the junior went 1-2 from the plate, but finished with 3 RBIs. Derin Gaudette, Roberts and Salo each finished with 2 hits in the game. 

AB R H BI

Jake Guck 2 0 0 1

Lucas Grabow 0 1 0 0

Jonah Johnson 2 1 1 3

Derin Gaudette 4 1 2 2

Abe Carlson 4 1 1 0

Drey Roberts 3 0 2 1

Jonah Ruther 0 1 0 0

Chase Keskitalo 1 0 0 0

Bren Salo 4 1 2 1

Brayden Ehnert 3 1 1 1

Cody Barthel 1 0 0 0

Cale Rudolph 2 2 1 0

Jace Rudolph 2 2 0 1

HITTING- 2B- Gaudette, Salo

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Derin Gaudette 3-1-0-0-1-7, Drey Roberts 5-1-2-1-0-8, Bren Salo 2-2-2-1-0-1