Chatfield gets defensive to nip Lourdes in Sub-State semifinals

Jul. 23—ST. CHARLES — Chatfield made a stellar defensive play while the Rochester Eagles had a bit of miscommunication. The result was a game-altering play on Thursday in the semifinals of the Southeast Sub-State American Legion baseball tournament.

Chatfield used a five-run fifth inning to overcome a 2-0 deficit and then held on for a narrow 5-4 victory over the Eagles to advance to the winners bracket final.

Down by a run, the Eagles nearly tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. With Gannon Fix on first, Nolan Jurgenson smashed a double to the gap in right center with two outs.

Chatfield right fielder Seth Goetzinger chased the ball down, fired to shortstop Drew Schindler, who delivered a strike to catcher Henry Gathje to cut down Fix at the plate and end the inning. Gannon might have scored, but he slowed heading toward third when he got a mixed signal from head coach, and third base coach, Troy Jurgenson.

Chatfield has a great 9-6-2 relay to cut down the tying run at the plate to end the 6th. Chatfield still leads Eagles 5-4. pic.twitter.com/Ll21w9JnlI

— Guy N. Limbeck (@PBglimbeck) July 23, 2021

"I'll take the blame for that, we had a coaching mistake," coach Jorgenson said.

"We had a ball in the gap and I was trying to hold my back runner," Jorgenson added. "My fore runner thought that I was holding him. I assumed he knew the ball was deep, but you can't assume that as a base coach. You have to make sure you're scoring everybody first, the first runner is what matters."

That was the second Eagles runner that Chatfield cut down on the base paths in the sixth inning.

"This year we've struggled defensively," Chatfield coach Zach Slowiak said. "But in this game the guys did an awesome job bearing down and understanding when plays need to be made."

"If we didn't make those pays we probably wouldn't have won, or we'd still be playing," Chatfield winning pitcher Cayden Nolte said. "That was a big momentum changer."

Nolte then retired the Eagles in order in the seventh to seal the win. The right-hander allowed 11 hits to the hard-hitting Eagles, but he said he used his fastball and breaking ball to keep them off balance.

"Cayden did a great job of staying in good rhythm and staying in the right pace and a good tempo and making them able to make plays," Slowiak said. "Without his tempo and throwing strikes, mixing and matching everything, the guys don't have the chances to make those plays."

Chatfield's winning offensive rally in the fifth inning all came with two outs and no one on base. Chatfield had seven straight hitters reach base. Tate Karver tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run single, Nolte walked with the bases load to put Chatfield ahead and then Drew O'Connor capped the inning with a two-run single.

"Cameron, I thought threw well, he was around the zone," Jurgenson said. "But you have to credit those guys, they hit the ball when they needed to."

"Anytime you can put a crooked number up on a team like (the Eagles), it's fantastic," Slowiak said. "But on top of that, everything was with two outs. That inning was huge, but the fact that we just didn't die, kind of captures this team."

Chatfield now faces La Crescent in the winners bracket final at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Charles. The Eagles and Pine Island will follow with an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. The day will conclude with the Eagles-Pine Island winner taking on the Chatfield-La Crescent loser around 4 p.m.

Slowiak said Ben Fretland is expected to start the winners bracket final for Chatfield. Jurgenson said the Eagles are expected to start Alex Rudquist in the elimination contest.

"It's a whole a whole new experience so I'm just taking it in at this point," Nolte said of now being two wins away from a state berth.

Chatfield 5, Eagles 4

Chatfield#000#050#0#—#5#6#0

Eagles#002#020#0#—#4#11#1

Chatfield: Seth Goetzinger 1 R; Tate Kaver 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 R; Henry Gathje 1 R; Cayden Nolte 1-for-2, 1 RBI; Drew O'Connor 1-for-3, 2 RBI; Connor Jax 1-for-1; Cory Ericson 1 R Pitcher: Cayden Nolte (WP) 7 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.

Rochester Eagles: Alex Rudquist 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI; Sam Stanley 2-for-4, 1 RBIm 1 R, 2 SB; Nolan Jurgenson 3-for-3, 1 2B, 1 R; Alex Rudquist 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI; Brendan Davick 1-for-4; Carter Wenzsell 1-for-2, 1 2B; Cameron Powell 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 R. Pitcher: Cameron Powell (LP) 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K; Sam Stanley 2 1/3 IP, 1 K.

La Crescent 10, Pine Island 2

Isaac Peterson's strong pitching and hitting carried La Crescent past Pine Island 10-2 in the other semifinal game.

Peterson allowed two earned runs, after La Crescent built an 8-0 lead, over 4 1/3 innings to earn the win.

"Our defense has been playing well all year so I was just throwing strikes and having them make plays for me," Peterson said.

He also smacked a three-run double to break open a 2-0 game in the third inning.

"It's been what we've been doing all year," Peterson said. "Everyone's been having big hits all year and I guess it was just my turn today."

La Crescent scored six times in the third. Mason Bills followed with a two-run homer later in the third inning.

Peterson was lifted after less than 50 pitches. Bills pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and did not allow a run. Bills, like Peterson, finished 2-for-4, and he drove in four runs.

Braden Abnet added a solo home run for La Crescent, which took advantage of Pine Island starter Kaleb Johnson's control problems during the first three innings.

Graham Majerus and Johnny Bauer both hit RBI doubles for Pine Island in the fourth inning.

La Crescent is now two wins away from a state berth. Pine Island, like the Eagles, would need to win four straight games, two on Saturday and two on Sunday, to secure a state berth.

"It feels good," Peterson said. "We just have to win a couple of more and we're through (to the state tournament)."

La Crescent 10, Pine Island 2

Pine Island#000#200#0#—#2#6#5

La Crescent#116#110#x#—#10#9#0

Pine Island: Nick Bauer 2-for-4, 1 R; Cole Uhde 1-for-3; Graham Majerus 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R; Johnny Bauer 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI. Pitchers: Kaleb Johnson (LP) 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 8 BB, 4 K; Carl Schultz 3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.

La Crescent: Isaac Peterson 2-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R; Karson Pape 2-for-4, 2 R; Mason Bills 2-for-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R; Braden Abnet 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R; Lucas Hafner 1-for-2, 2 R; Will Thompson 1 R. Pitchers: Isaac Peterson (WP) 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K; Mason Bills 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

Chatfield beats Rochester Eagles 5-4 in Southeast Sub-State semifinal playoff game. Chatfield moves to winners bracket final, Eagles slip to elimination bracket in 4-team tournament. pic.twitter.com/2QHwMKfQiV

— Guy N. Limbeck (@PBglimbeck) July 23, 2021

Pitcher Isaac Peterson with a 3-run 2B and La Crescent leads Pine Island 6-0 in 3rd. pic.twitter.com/hEc54Vup9W

— Guy N. Limbeck (@PBglimbeck) July 22, 2021