JONESBORO, Ark. - The Bemidji Northern Heat 10-year-old baseball team ended its season Thursday night, falling to a team from Visalia, Calif., in the quarterfinals of the Cal Ripken World Series in Jonesboro, Ark.
Visalia beat Bemidji 7-2 to advance to today’s semifinals.
The Heat, who were third place in the five-team American Division after finishing 2-2 in pool play, end their season after losing in the single-elimination bracket. They finished as Midwest Plains Regional champions.
The Bemidji bats never really got going, despite having opportunities to score. Visalia starting pitcher Andrew Lunsford walked four Bemidji batters in the first two innings but the Northern Heat didn’t get any hits off of him.
Lunsford lasted only one-plus innings and was replaced by Jason DeShon, who walked none and gave up just three hits.
Bemidji threatened in the top of the third when Ethan Biehn and Hunter Brodina both singled but the Heat couldn’t hit them home.
Visalia, meanwhile, scored three runs in the first inning off Ben Corradi and another in the fourth to go up 4-0.
The Pacific Southwest Champions scored three more runs in their half of the fifth, this time on Bemidji’s Beihn, to take a 7-0 lead.
The Heat managed to score two runs in the top of the sixth. Brodina doubled and pinch runner Eli Klinke scored on a fielders’ choice.
Nick Yavarow then scored on a groundout later in the inning.
However, the Heat couldn’t score more to keep the game going.
Brodina led the Heat with two hits while Beihn and Cam Justice each singled to round out Bemidji’s four hits.
Visalia 7, Bemidji 2
Bemidji 000 002 - 2-4-2
Visalia 031 30x - 7-7-0
