Bandits go 4-0 to win Marshall wood bat tourney

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MARSHALL – The Brookings Post 74 American Legion Bandits finished 4-0 at the Marshall Wood Bat Tournament, claiming the tournament title.

The Bandits beat Luverne, 8-0, to open the tournament on Friday, defeated Willmar, 3-1, and Alexandria in 10 innings, 7-6, before taking down the tournament hosts from Marshall 6-2 in the Sunday championship.

Brookings (13-8) and Marshall will square off again tomorrow night at Bob Shelden Field as part of a previously scheduled doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.

Friday

 Brookings 8, Luverne 0 (5 inn.)

Josh Devine tossed a one-hitter as the Bandits needed just five innings to take down Luverne in a game ended early by adjusted tournament run rule of eight runs instead of 10 after five innings.

Luverne’s first batter of the game singled and would be the only batter to reach base until the fifth inning when an error lead to Luverne’s only other batter to reach base.

Brookings got the scoring going right away in the first inning. Lincoln Hardin tripled and would score one batter later when Breck Hirrschoff reached on an error to give Post 74 a 1-0 lead.

The Bandits added two more in the second. Zach Struck walked, Ashton Witte singled, and both would move into scoring position on a passed ball. Sam Hardin’s sacrifice fly scored Struck, then two batters later Lincoln Hardin’s single scored Witte to give Brookings 3-0 edge.

Post 74 more than doubled their lead to 7-0 in the third inning. Nathan Lease ripped a one-out single, then walks to Struck and Witte loaded the bases for Sam Hardin whose double emptied the bases. Sam Hardin would move to third on the throw and score a batter later on a wild dropped third strike.

Henry Hammrich led off the fourth inning with the Bandits’ second triple of the game and scored on a wild pitch a batter later, giving Brookings the 8-0 lead.

Devine induced three pop ups in the fifth inning to secure the win. He finished with six strikeouts and did not walk a batter, throwing only 56 pitches for the game.

Lincoln Hardin had two hits including a triple, while Hammrich also tripled and Sam Hardin doubled. Sam Hardin finished with four runs batted in.

Saturday

 Brookings 3, Willmar 1

Lincoln Hardin provided the second consecutive complete game effort for a Bandits’ pitcher as Brookings moved to 2-0 in pool play.

Willmar scored their only run of the game in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of an error that eventually led to an RBI ground out to give Willmar the early 1-0 lead.

Brookings responded with a single run in the bottom of the second. Lease drew a lead off walk and Witte also registered a walk. Sam Hardin’s grounder turned into a fielding error that would allow Lease to score and tie the game.

The Bandits took the lead for good in the third inning. Hirrschoff provided a one-out single and after a Hammrich sacrifice bunt moved Hammrich up 90 feet, Justin Cofell reached on an error that allowed Hirrschoff to come home and give Brookings the 2-1 lead.

Another Willmar error in the fourth gave Brookings their final run of the game. Struck led off by reaching on a bobble, then Witte and Sam Hardin singled to load the bases. After a strike out for the second out of the inning, Lincoln Hardin beat out an infield single to score Witte to give Post 74 the 3-1 lead.

That would be all the run support Lincoln Hardin needed, working around two singles in the sixth inning, then a single and error in the seventh to strand the potential game-changing runs on base in the final two innings.

Lincoln Hardin scattered five hits in seven innings and the run he gave up was unearned. He struck out four while not walking a batter.

The Bandits had just four hits, one each from Lincoln Hardin, Hirrschoff, Witte, and Sam Hardin.

 Brookings 7, Alexandria 6 (10 inn.)

Post 74 scored twice in the top of the seventh to force extra innings, then scored twice in the top of the 10th inning and held their opponent to a single run in the bottom of the 10th to finish pool play 3-0.

Lincoln Hardin kept his hot hitting going with a lead off double and would score three batters later on Cofell’s single. Lease reached on an error to second base which allowed Cofell to score, giving Brookings a 2-0 lead after a half inning.

The Bandits added a run in the third. Trey Svennes drew a two-out walk and would score on yet another Lincoln Hardin extra base hit, this time a double, giving Post 74 a 3-0 lead.

Alexandria responded with a run in the bottom of the second inning to cut the Brookings lead to 3-1, then would score three runs in the fifth and take a 4-3 lead. Alexandria added another run in the bottom of the sixth to bump the lead to 5-3.

Lincoln Hardin’s third hit of the game started off the top of the seventh, and after a walk to Hirrschoff, Hammrich’s sacrifice bunt moved the tying run into scoring position. A strikeout for the second out brought Lease to the plate and he delivered a clutch single to score two and tie the game at five.

Both teams did not score in the eighth or ninth inning before the Bandits broke through for two runs in the top of the 10th. Struck walked to lead off the inning, Svennes also walked with two outs, then Lincoln Hardin was plunked to load the bases. Hirrschoff also was hit by a pitch to force in Struck and Svennes would scamper home on a wild pitch a batter later to give Brookings a 7-5 lead.

Alexandria got the first two batters on in the bottom of the 10th and after a sac bunt, a single cut the lead in half at 7-6. Cofell, on the mound as a reliever, induced a pop fly and a ground out with the tying run on third to give Brookings the win.

Hammrich picked up the win in relief with two hitless innings, allowing one unearned run and walking two. Cofell earned the save.

Lincoln Hardin had three of Brookings’ six hits including a pair of doubles. Cofell, Lease, and Struck had the Bandits’ other three hits. Lease also had two RBI.

Sunday

 Brookings 6, Marshall 2

The Bandits jumped on the hosts for three runs in the top of the first inning and made it hold up in the 6-2 championship game win.

Lincoln Hardin and Hirrschoff drew walks to open the game, then with one out Cofell was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Walks to Lease and Struck forced in the first two runs before Witte delivered the only base hit of the inning to give Brookings a 3-0 lead.

Marshall got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning but the Bandits responded with a run in the top of the fifth off the bat of Struck. His run-scoring single plated Cofell and gave Post 74 a 4-2 lead.

Sam Hardin led off the top of the sixth with a base hit. Courtesy runner Payton Theodosopoulos then cruised in from first on Hirrschoff’s run-scoring triple to up the lead to 5-2.

An insurance run off the bat of Struck scored Lease who doubled with one out, giving Brookings a 6-2 lead with just three defensive outs remaining.

Hirrschoff got a pop out and fly out before a looking strikeout clinched the tournament title for the Bandits.

Hirrschoff struck out eight in the complete game effort, allowing just three hits and walking two while giving up a pair of earned runs.

The Bandits finished with 10 hits, three from Struck who also had two RBI.

Cofell and Witte both had two hits.