New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

GAYLORD -- Hanska's amazing run for the Minnesota state amateur baseball championship ended here Sunday with a 4-1 loss to St. Cloud Orthopedic. St. Cloud traveled through the tournament without a loss while Hanska fought valiantly to stay in contention, playing eight games including three in this championship weekend and winning six to underscore the good baseball played in the Tomahawk East league.

The complete box score and details play by play for all nine innings, just a click away:
http://www.minnesotabaseball.org/images/stories/statistics/2009/C/c38.htm

Hanska's Lakers saw their state tournament bubble turn into a bouncing beach ball of dispair because of St. Cloud's tough defense and a play in the fourth inning which broke up a potential big inning but cost the Tomahawk East champions their designated hitter.

St. Cloud meanwhile had the Lakers on the ropes early and often by stranding 16 runners in the nine inning game. Thirteen were left on the bases in the first six innings including the fourth when the Ortopods scored three times and still had the bases loaded when Hanska got out of the jam. Hanska escaped again in the sixth with St.Cloud leaving the bases loaded after one out.

Hanska meanwhile ran into four double plays from the third through the eighth inning. In three of those instances the lead off batter got aboard and in the fourth two batters singled with one out. The damage, however, really happened in the fourth when the bubble turned into a hot potato. Landon Rathmann was hit and Chris Peters doubled to deep center. With one out Micade Thordson flew out to a shallow center and Rathmann wisely held up on a strong throw from center. Moments laterMatt Suess hit to center deep enough for Rathmann to tag up and try to score. But he was nailed by a great throw for the double play.

That play was double trouble since Landon was ejected for bowling into the catcher with umpires evoking the state supported pro-slide rule which calls for ejection under conditions such as this. Regular infield double plays took down rallies in the third, sixth and eighth innings. Hanska did manage a run in the sixth before the double play killed the threat. Eric Portner doubled into the right field corner and scored quickly on Dustin Wilfahrt's grounder into center. After a force, the double play ended the inning.

Hanska's final hopes were dashed after and Wilfahrt singled again in the eighth with one out as the fourth St. Cloud double play took care of those late hopes.

Dayton Larson, first of three pitchers, was tagged with the loss

Hanska was again without the services of pitcher Gary Wiflahrt, Jr., who needed a recent operation because of a kidney problem. He was able to pitch only one inning in the tournament.

Portner, Hoffman and Peters each had two hits. Peters had a double plus a long single off the right-center field wall in the ninth inning only to be followed by first to pitcher and catcher to first plays and a strikeout looking.