Osseo 5/16/2023
Extra Inning Thriller ends with Schmidt's walk-off RBI double!
Box Score 5/16/2023
Maple Grove 8, Osseo 7 (11 inn)
On senior night at Crimson Field, the Crimson and Orioles battled for eleven innings before a walk-off double from Nathan Schmidt ended things in a big way for Maple Grove. The game started with drama in the first and ended with just as much in the eleventh. Sam Kliber took the hill for the Crimson and battled his way to a scoreless first inning, giving up two singles and a walk, but inducing a ground ball to end the frame. Maple Grove then came up big in the bottom half. Kliber led off with a line drive to left center, Tanner Albeck doubled to deep left center, and Hunter Gerber walked to load the bases for Schmidt. Nathan hit a hard grounder through the middle and scored two. Brady Aubut hit a ball that both the second baseman and the center fielder booted to score another run. And after a Dylan Vokal walk, Kaden Harney singled to score two more runs. The sixth run of the inning then came in on a beautifully executed sacrifice squeeze bunt from Vann Olson.
But the bats stopped producing for quite a while for the Crimson. And Osseo kept their resolve. The Orioles scored a run in the top of the second and again in the top of the third before breaking out for four in the fourth, tying the game. Spencer Pederson was a thorn in the Maple Grove side all night, going four for five with three doubles. Sam Hagen took over on the mound for the Crimson in the fifth and sixth innings, producing a clean sheet, allowing no base runners over his six-out stint. Brody Berglin followed Hagen on the hill and the game remained tied at six going to extra innings. Brody eventually got the win, going five innings in total, allowing only one run on five hits, striking out three.
The Orioles struck for what could have been the winning run in the top of the eighth, but the Crimson battle back themselves. Olson led off the inning with an infield single, but was picked off. Kliber followed with a ground ball that was misplayed, allowing him to reach. Sam proceeded to steal both second and third before scoring on Berglin's sacrifice fly. Both teams were held at bay again until the bottom of the eleventh, when Berglin was hit by a pitch to lead off. With one out, Berglin stole second base. Schmidt then took a high fastball and deposited it over the center fielder's head for the climactic finish to a rowdy senior night.