Spring Lake Park and Mounds View 6/2/2026

O'Dwyer goes CG, Crimson win game one; Mustangs' offense ends MG's season in game two

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 6/2/2026

Maple Grove 6, Spring Lake Park 2 | Mounds View 5, Maple Grove 2

Section quarterfinal action began with two two-run first innings for the Crimson and Panthers, but then things settled down and Maple Grove came out victorious 6-2. MG got on the board in the top of the inning as an SLP error put a runner on before junior Beckett Shimpa (2/4 2B 2R 2RBI) doubled home a run and senior Oliver Taynton (2/4 SB RBI) came through with a run-scoring single. Spring Lake Park then tied the game in the bottom half with three hits, two hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly.

After a few scoreless innings, the Crimson broke up the tie when a Panther error scored a run and junior Vince Lenmark (1/3 RBI) punched a single through a drawn-in infield to score a second tally. The Maple Grove offense added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to push the final margin to four and senior Evan O'Dwyer shut down Spring Lake Park for the final six innings of the game for the complete game victory. Seniors Preston Berg (2/4) and Joe Limric (2/4 SB 2R) joined Shimpa and Taynton with multiple-hit games.

With the win, Maple Grove advanced to game two of the day, a sectional semi-final versus Mounds View. The Crimson again got on the board first with a lead-off hit-by-pitch for Limric (0/2 HBP R) and a two-run blast for Shimpa (2/3 HR R 2RBI), his seventh of the season (the second-best single-season total in Crimson history). However, after allowing one more single in the first inning, the Mustang pitchers would hold the MG bats to just one more hit over the course of the game. The MV offense scratched back a run in the bottom of the first, then took the lead for good in third, adding two. Insurance runs in the fifth and sixth gave Mounds View their final 5-2 margin.

The Crimson finish 17-9 for the season, 7-7 in Lake Conference play, and third in Section 5AAAA.