Red Lake County vs. East Grand Forks Sacred Heart

Recap

Red Lake County vs. East Grand Forks Sacred Heart

Crookston, MN — The East Grand Forks Sacred Heart Eagles are the Section 8A Baseball Champions after beating the Red Lake County Rebels 2-1 at Jim Karn Field in Crookston Thursday afternoon.

It was a pitchers duel and well played defensive game throughout as both teams amassed only a total of seven hits. Both teams were hitless after three complete innings until Red Lake County scored their first run in the top of the fourth. Will Gieseke led off the inning with a base hit to right field. Gieseke would then steal second base and advance up to third base after the throw to second trickled into center field. Gieseke would score the first run of the game when Ben Gullingsrud drove him in on a fielders choice to the shortstop. Red Lake County would hold that one run lead for an inning when the Eagles scored one run on two hits in the bottom of the fifth.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Isaac Sundby, who score the first Eagles run of the game, struck out looking. Next batter Mike Gapp reached on a base hit, advanced to second on an error. After a ground out to second base by Elliot Arntson, Gapp found himself standing on third base as the winning run. Josiah Sundby was the batter in charge of driving Gapp in with two outs. The count was even at one ball and a strike, left handed pitcher Ben Gullingsrud was ready to throw the next pitch when Gapp broke for home. Gullingsrud threw the baseball home for a play at the plate and Gapp was initially called out. However, the third base umpire would intervene and indicated that Gullingsrud had not come set before delivering the throw home, and a balk was called awarding Gapp home plate and winning the game for Sacred Heart on a walk off balk.

Sacred Heart is the Section 8A Baseball Champions and will take a 19-3 record into the State Tournament.