Legion baseball: Alexandria Post 87 overcomes sloppy defense behind Backhaus

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Alexandria’s Beau Backhaus didn’t get a lot of help behind him but he didn’t need much as he pitched the Fat Daddy’s Alexandria American Legion Post 87 baseball team to a 7-2 win over Litchfield on Tuesday night.

Backhaus was able to overcome seven errors behind him to complete eight innings and pick up the win. He allowed two unearned runs on just four hits and two walks, while striking out eight. AJ Anderson came on to work a perfect ninth inning to close out the game.

“Beau picked up his teammates and got us out of several jams,” head coach Kevin Engebretson said. “As a pitcher, you know you can’t really control what goes on behind you, so you just have to keep doing your job up on the mound. He did a really nice job of that.”

Alexandria was able to create some breathing room with four runs in the second inning. Erich Murphy and Grant Becker led off the inning with singles before Jeff Swedberg doubled them both home for a 2-1 lead. Swedberg executed a double steal to score a few batters later before Nick Knoblach added an RBI single.

That is how the game would go into the sixth as Post 87 added three more insurance runs. Anderson connected on a two-RBI double and Becker added an RBI single. Becker finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Knoblach and Zach Peterson added two hits apiece.

“It was good to get lots of guys some more at-bats and time in the field,” Engebretson said. “But we will need to pick it up defensively moving forward. Thankfully, our pitchers are to the point where they understand that all they can focus on is what they can control, stay positive and let the chips fall where they may from there.”

Alexandria will now turn its attention to the Gopher Classic this weekend. Post 87 will kick off the tournament against a team from Harrisonville, Missouri this Friday at 11:30 a.m. in Elko before battling a team from Mitchell, South Dakota at 2 p.m. Post 87 will round out pool play against Rochester Century, Lakeville North and Hopkins.

GAME STATISTICS

LITCHFIELD 010 000 010 – 2 4 1

ALEXANDRIA 040 003 00X – 7 11 7

ALEXANDRIA PITCHING – Backhaus – W, 8IP, 4H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 8SO; Anderson – 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1SO

ALEXANDRIA OFFENSE – AJ Anderson – 1-4, 2B, 1 run, BB, 3 RBI; Gideon Burnham – BB; Murphy – 1-3, 1 run; Knoblach – 2-5, 1 run, RBI; Becker – 3-4, 1 run, RBI; Swedberg – 1-4, 2B, 1 run, 2 RBI; Christian Anderson – BB, 1 run; Peterson – 2-5, 2B; Ben Kluver – 1-2, 2 BB, 1 run

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