BRAINERD – The Bemidji High School baseball team more or less took care of business on Thursday in Brainerd, but it certainly did so in dramatic fashion.
Facing two different teams in a doubleheader, the Lumberjacks lost 10-7 to Andover before picking up a crucial 9-6 Section 8-4A win over Brainerd just prior to the announcement of the section seedings.
Bemidji (15-5) brought the winning run to the plate against Andover (12-7) in the top of the seventh, but Cam Justice popped up to shortstop to end the game. The Jacks had already scored two runs in the inning on Will Zellmann’s walk and Hunter Brodina reaching on an error.
The Lumberjacks’ comeback commenced down 9-1 after three innings. In the fourth, Ryan Loewe singled in Ty Lundeen, then Zellmann cleared the bases with a three-run double.
In game two against Brainerd (7-13), BHS had to mount a comeback in similar fashion. Down 6-3 heading into the sixth inning, the Jacks kicked their offense in gear. Zellmann scored Owen Frazer on a fielder’s choice, then with two outs, Justice doubled in Dan Clusiau and Zellmann to tie the game.
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Bemidji kept its foot on the pedal in the seventh. Ben Corradi doubled home Ethan Biehn to give the Lumberjacks a 7-6 lead, then scored on an error to double the advantage. Landon Hanson doubled and later scored on Justice’s fielder’s choice to give BHS a three-run cushion.
Brodina picked up the win for the Jacks, tossing 4 2/3 hitless shutout innings to finish out the victory.
Bemidji awaits its next opponent and seed in the Section 8-4A bracket, which will be released on Friday.
Andover 10, Bemidji 7
BHS 001 400 2 – 7-5-0
AND 108 001 X – 10-10-1
WP: Anderson (3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 K)
LP: Corradi (0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K)
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Bemidji 9, Brainerd 6
BHS 111 003 3 – 9-10-1
BRD 024 000 0 – 6-7-3
WP: Brodina (4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K)
LP: Hoelz (4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K)
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