Classic Clippers baseball: Alexandria second in state tournament

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Seeded No. 1 in the Class A division of the North Star Classic Baseball League, the Alexandria Classic Clippers lost twice to second seeded Mayer to finish second in the tournament last weekend.

ALEXANDRIA 3, MOUNDS VIEW 0

The Clippers, Alexandria’s 35-older team, opened their tournament action in Watkins with a 13-0 routing of the Mounds View Mustangs behind the no-hit pitching of Mike Forester.

Forester struck out five and allowed just two walks.

Greg Serum, Kurtis Kuhn and Lee Backhaus each had a pair of hits with Doug Breitkreutz scoring three times in the win.

ALEXANDRIA 7, BECKER 0

Alexandria followed up the next day with the Becker Buzzards in the winner’s bracket, picking up a 7-0 win as Breitkreutz threw the complete game shutout.

He also scored two runs to pace the Classic Clippers, while Serum added two more hits.

MAYER 5, ALEXANDRIA 1

Heading into the final weekend, Alexandria ran into two-time state champion Mayer, dropping to the Mudcats 5-1 in a pitcher’s battle between Classic Clipper hurler Mike Forester and Mayer pitcher Steve Schulte.

Alexandria threatened in its half of the first inning when Breitkreutz smacked a two-out double, but was stranded at second.

Mayer made its own attempt at a run in the top of the second with a one-out single and stolen base, but a strikeout by Forester and a ground out kept the game scoreless.

The Mudcats posted the first run of the game in the top of the third as they used a leadoff single and a one-out double to score.

The Classic Clippers tied the game in the bottom of that inning as Kuhn walked, stole second and came home on a single by Breitkreutz. Alexandria had a chance to take the lead as a hit by Lee Backhaus put runners at the corners, but a strikeout by Schulte ended that threat.

It was in the fourth that Forester encountered trouble as he allowed a walk, three singles, a double and a hit batsman to allow Mayer four runs. That four-run lead allowed Schulte to pick up his offense and the Mudcat pitcher allowed just one more hit in the game, that off the bat of Roger Johnson.

Forester allowed just six hits in the loss, and the Classic Clippers were able to pick up just four hits against Mayer.

ALEXANDRIA 9, BECKER 2

The Classic Clippers faced Becker for the second time in the tournament as they fell into the loser’s bracket, and this time came away with a 9-2 win.

Forester was back on the mound for Alexandria and got into early trouble, allowing the Buzzards to score once in the first frame on a leadoff walk, a stolen base and a two-out single.

The Classic Clipper pitcher then settled in and took control, allowing just three batters to reach base after that, giving up two earned runs on three hits and a pair of walkers.

Alexandria scored three times in the second and added six more in the third to take control as Serum, Kuhn, Joe Korkowski and Mitch Steidl each had two hits in the game.

Korkowski also scored a pair of runs as Alexandria advanced to the championship to face Mayer once again.

MAYER 8, ALEXANDRIA 3

The Classic Clippers needed to beat Mayer twice in order to earn the championship, but Alexandria had to settle for runner-up honors as they fell to the Mudcats 8-3.

Breitkreutz took the mound for Alexandria, and faced off against Mudcat pitcher Jeff Keavy.

Alexandria put runners on in both the second and third innings but both were caught stealing to keep the game scoreless.

Breitkreutz had set down the first six Mudcat batters in the game, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third as he gave up three hits and a sacrifice bunt. Those, coupled with a throwing error, allowed Mayer to score three times.

Alexandria threatened in the top of the fourth as Serum and Kuhn had back-to-back hits with no outs, but Keavy worked out of the jam to keep the Classic Clippers scoreless.

Mayer added two more runs in the fourth after Korkowski relieved Breitkreutz, then added three more runs in the fifth to cap the game.

The Classic Clippers put together three runs in the sixth on three walks, a single by Matt Strong and a double by Korkowski.

They added their final run of the game in the seventh as Steidl picked up a leadoff single, advanced on an error and a wild pitch, then scored on Bill Ziegler’s base hit.

CLASSIC CLIPPERS BASEBALL

ROSTER – Bryan Boutain, Mitch Steidl, Matt Strong, Lee Backhaus, Mike Forester, Mike Weber, Kurtis Kuhn, Greg Seru, Gerry Hoelscher, Doug Breitkreutz, Mark Nelson, Joe Korkowski, Roger Johnson, Scott Allen, Bill Ziegler.

NORTH STAR CLASSIC BASEBALL LEAGUE

Cold Spring 9-2

Burnsville 16-5

Woodbury 16-5

Minnetonka 14-7

St. Paul 14-8

Miesville 10-8

Minnetonka 10-8

Monticello 10-8

Alexandria 5-6

Mayer 5-6

Loretto 7-10

Becker 4-7

Edina 7-15

Apple Valley 6-13

Dassel 5-11

St. Paul 3-9

Mounds View 2-15

REGULAR SEASON RESULTS

June 12 Minnetonka 4, Alexandria 0

June 26 Alexandria 9, Becker 2

June 26 Monticello 3, Alexandria 1

July 9 Alexandria 3, Woodbury 1

July 16 Alexandria 5, Dassel 1

July 17 Alexandria 12, Miesville 4

July 30 Loretto 7, Alexandria 6

August 5 Cold Spring 15, Alexandria 5

August 7 Burnsville 6, Alexandria 0

August 14 Apple Valley 8, Alexandria 7

August 14 Alexandria 5, Crosstown 2

NSCBL CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP

August 20 Alexandria 12, Mounds View 0

August 21 Alexandria 7, Becker 0

August 27 Mayer 5, Alexandria 1

August 27 Alexandria 9, Becker 2

August 28 Mayer 8, Alexandria 3

NORTH STAR CLASSIC BASEBALL LEAGUE

CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIPS

AUGUST 20

OPENING ROUND

Alexandria 13, Mounds View 0

Becker 5, Crosstown 1

Loretto 4, Apple Valley 3

Mayer 11, Dassel 0

AUGUST 21

WINNER’S BRACKET

Alexandria 7, Becker 2

Mayer 8, Loretto 1

LOSER’S BRACKET

Crosstown 11, Mounds View 6

Apple Valley 10, Dassel 9

Crosstown 11, Loretto 9

Becker 10, Apple Valley 0

AUGUST 27

WINNER’S BRACKET

Mayer 5, Alexandria 1

LOSER’S BRACKET

Becker 3, Crosstown 2

Alexandria 9, Becker 2

AUGUST 28

CHAMPIONSHIP

Mayer 8, Alexandria 4

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