VFW Grey falls to Madison in District 5 playoffs

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The Alexandria VFW Grey baseball team saw their season come to an end on Saturday with a tough 7-6 loss to Madison in the District 5 VFW playoffs.

With the winning run at second base and two outs in the seventh inning, the Madison base runner successfully stole third base. The throw on the play went into left field and the winning run came across for Madison.

The Grey jumped out to a 3-0 lead after a half inning as Jason Connell highlighted the inning with an RBI double. Alex could not hang on to that lead for long as Madison came right back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first.

That was the first of two three-run innings for Madison. The second one came in the fifth, and it once again erased a lead for Alexandria. Madison sent eight men to the plate in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. That is how they would head into the seventh inning before Lucas Dolan scored the tying run to give his team life.

An error in the bottom of the inning halted that momentum as the Grey’s season came to an end.

Connell led the offensive attack for Alexandria with a 2-for-3 day at the plate with a double and a run scored. Lucas Beireis also went 2-for-3 with a double in the second.

Alexandria lost its opening round game of the District I against Willmar I in a 10-0 game last Tuesday. That moved them into the loser’s bracket where they took on Montevideo last Friday in the opening game in Spicer.

The Grey used an offensive outburst in the seventh inning to outlast Montevideo in the 11-6 win.

Alexandria scored seven times in the seventh as they sent 12 batters to the plate. Dylan Galligan had a big run scoring double in the inning, and Beireis hit a home run with two outs that ended Montevideo’s chances for a victory.

Beireis was 2-for-5 with the home run and two runs scored, while Steve Carlson chipped in with two doubles, two walks and a run.

Connell went all seven innings for the win on the mound. He gave up six runs, three earned, on seven hits and four walks. Connell was able to limit the damage with six strikeouts on the day.

GAME STATISTICS

Madison 7, Alexandria 6

ALEXANDRIA HITTING – Mitch Ronning – BB; Chris Fields – 0-2, BB, 2 runs; Lucas Beireis – 2-3, 2B; Steve Carlson – HBP, BB, 1 run; Jason Connell – 2-3, 1 run, 2B; Lucas Dolan – 1-2, 2 runs, BB

ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Nate Nelson – 7IP, 8H, 7R, 6ER, 5BB, 7SO

Alexandria 11, Montevideo 6

ALEXANDRIA HITTING – Fields – BB, 1 run; Beireis – 2-5, 2 runs, HR; Carlson – 2-3, 1 run, 2BB, 2 2B; Connell – 1-3, 1 run, HBP; Alec Swanson – BB; Nick Schmidt – 2BB; Matt Anderson – 1 run, HBP; Myles Bjelland – 1 run; Chris Curry – 1-3; Dylan Galligan – 1-3, 2 runs, BB

ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Jason Connell – (WP) 7IP, 7H, 6R, 3ER, 4BB, 6SO

Tags: sports, alexandria, vfw, grey, district, five, baseball