With the team to greet them, Frankie Miller and Leo Johnson trot in with the winning runs against Carlton on a hit by Jack Wieben.
The third-seeded Vikings faced the sixth-seeded Carlton Bulldogs on Wednesday, June 1 in the Section 7A playoffs and won 7-6.
Tristen Bockovich started the game before being relieved by Viking ace Frankie Miller. Miller took the win from the mound and Jack Wieben drove in the winning run in the seventh inning.
With that win the Vikings had to take the field and play South Ridge who beat Wrenshall.
Andrew Lashinski started the game and pitched three innings before being relieved by Andrew “Mini” Miller and then Rory Bakke.
The Vikings scored two runs in the first inning and then watched as South Ridge went up 7-2 over the next couple of innings.
“We scored five runs in the fourth or fifth inning to tie the game,” said a tired Vikings head coach Arleigh Jorgenson. “Owen Anderson made two incredible plays in the outfield but the best one was when he robbed them of a home run by jumping above the fence to take away a home run. It was just like you see the major league players do it on TV. Then, in the sixth inning, he came up to bat and hit a big home run for us.”
That home run started a big rally. With two men on, Leo Johnson smashed a home run to left center field. The Vikings went up 11-7 and held the Panthers in their half of the inning. Unfortunately the Vikings couldn’t add any more runs in the bottom of the seventh.
That would prove to be costly. Miller got the first out on a grounder to the pitcher and the throw to first base. The second Panther hit a shot between third and short to get on. Jorgenson said the Vikings failed to catch a short blooper to the outfield and that brought up the Panthers’ pitcher, Zach Johnson, who hit a three-run home run. The Panthers put two more men on base and a double brought in the tying and winning run.
“It was a heart-breaking loss but we’re not done yet,” said Jorgenson.
Owen Anderson was 2-5 with one RBI and scored three runs. Rory Bakke was 2-3 with two RBIs and scored two runs; Frankie Miller was 2-5 with one RBI and scored three runs; Jaret Baker was 2-5 with one RBI; Jack Wieben was 2-4; Leo Johnson was 1-4 with 3 RBIs; and Andrew Miller was 2-4.
The Vikings moved on to play Northwoods in an early game on Friday. If they won that game, they played again later in the day and with a win will play next Tuesday.
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