After winning three games in three days with the first two victories coming on late-inning comebacks, the International Falls Junior League baseball team won the District Tournament championship last week at Scheela Field.
In the four-team, double-elimination tournament, Falls defeated Hibbing twice and Itasca once to become the Minnesota District 4 champions.
“We’re just thrilled to come out and win three tough games against two really good teams,” said Falls head coach Jay Bartkowski. “Hibbing’s a great hitting team, and we had some great pitching (Saturday) to help us through that game.”
In Saturday’s 6-3 victory, Falls scored all of its runs in the first two innings.
In the opening frame, Jack Mellstrom tripled to drive in Wyatt Ulrich, after which Mellstrom scored on a wild pitch to give Falls a 2-0 lead.
Hibbing responded with a run in the bottom of the first, before Falls tacked on four more runs in the top of the second.
Max Vergeldt started Falls’ rally by reaching base when Hibbing’s shortstop couldn’t haul in a bouncing ground ball. Ulrich ended up driving in Vergeldt on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Mellstrom, who ended up with two hits for the game, drove in two more runs on a fly ball that landed in short right field. Falls’ final run came in when Jackson Vollom crossed home plate after an error by Hibbing’s catcher.
Ben Humbert started at pitcher for the Falls. However, Bartkowski said Humbert left the mound with a sore arm after facing only one batter in the second when Cole Miggins took over the pitching duties into the fifth inning, before Vollom closed out the game.
“Ben’s arm was sore early, which is why he came out early — he pitched well at the start, but (had) a little soreness,” Bartkowski said. “We knew we had enough pitching depth to be able to get through it. Cole came in second (to pitch) and did a nice job stabilizing (the game).
“I think that was a big point in the game, because we jumped on them early and got some runs. When Ben comes out of the game, I think that’s the point in time where Hibbing thought, ‘We’ve got a chance.’
“Our No. 1 pitcher is out of the game.... Cole did a great job of slamming the door and keeping the game stable for us. Plus, the glove work (Saturday) was good, too. The first day (of the tournament against Hibbing) we were a little disappointed with some of our defensive play, but we made all the plays (Saturday), and it was nice.”
Falls needed an extra inning to win its opening tournament game Thursday against Hibbing, 8-7.
Down by three in the bottom of the seventh, Falls deadlocked the game 6-6 to force the game into the eighth inning.
With the bases loaded and no one out, Kevin Kilbride hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Vollom. Jack Bartkowski then singled to drive in another run and put runners on first and third with one out.
Jakob Eide tied the game on a base hit to drive in Humbert and nearly knocked in the winning run, but Jack Bartkowski was called out sliding at home plate.
Hibbing went back in front scoring a run in the top of the eighth, before Falls responded with two in the bottom of the frame to win. With runners on second and third with one out, Humbert hit an infield ground out to tie the game before a Hibbing throwing error to third brought home Vollom to score the winning run. Vollom ended up scoring half of Falls’ eight runs in the opening game.
Falls ended up going deep into its pitching depth Thursday with Humbert, Vollom, Ulrich, Mellstrom, Miggins and Jack Bartkowski all seeing time on the mound.
Hibbing bounced back to win Friday’s losers’ bracket game 19-2 against Greenway, which was eliminated from the tournament with its second loss after having dropped an 8-5 decision Thursday to Itasca. On Saturday, Hibbing also eliminated Itasca, 9-2, to earn a rematch against the Falls.
Itasca led Falls 4-0 after four innings in Friday’s winners’ bracket game, before the tide turned in Falls’ favor for the final two frames.
Vollom, who recorded two hits for the game, tied the score at 4-4 on a two-out triple.
Falls pulled in front by a run in the top of the seventh. After Jack Bartkowski recorded his second hit for the game, Vergeldt came in to pinch run for him. Vergeldt then stole second and later, propelled by a single from Eide, slid safely into home for what turned out to be the winning run.
Ulrich pitched six innings against Itasca before being relieved in the final frame by Vollom.
Falls advances to the Junior League State Tournament set to begin July 27 in Cloquet. The Journal plans to publish the specific tournament pairings once they become available.
Junior League Tournament
Scheela Field, July 14-16
July 14 results
Itasca 8, Greenway 5
I’Falls 8, Hibbing 7, 8 innings
Hibb. 1-0-0 4-0-1 0-1 — 7
I’Falls 1-0-1 0-0-1 3-2 — 8
July 15 results
Hibbing 19, Greenway 2
I’Falls 5, Itasca 4
I’Falls 0-0-0 0-0-4 1 — 5
Itasca 1-0-2 1-0-0 0 — 4
July 16 results
Hibbing 9, Itasca 2
I’Falls 6, Hibbing 3
I’Falls 2-4-0 0-0-0 0 — 6
Hibb. 1-0-0 1-0-0 1 — 3
