Legion baseball: Osakis captures Alexandria VFW title

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Osakis competed in the Alexandria VFW baseball tournament over the weekend, taking home the championship after going undefeated through four games.

Osakis opened with a 3-1 win over Cold Spring as Devin Waldvogel and the defense allowed just one run despite giving up nine hits through the first six innings. Doug Zimmel got the save as he allowed just one hit in the final frame.

Zimmel also had a pair of hits, including an RBI single in the fourth. Brandon Giesler and Jordan Mack both had a pair of hits as well, with Giesler scoring once and driving in a run. Hunter Scherr also drove in a run with a single in the sixth.

The second game of the tournament saw the Legion hand Elk River a 4-3 loss as Zimmel went the distance on the mound to earn the win, giving up seven hits, but also striking out seven.

He paced the Osakis’ offense once again, knocking out a pair of hits to drive in a run and scoring once. Jordan Frederick, Mack and Grayson Fortenberry each had an RBI in the game.

Osakis faced the Alexandria VFW II team in the semifinal game, winning 16-5 behind some superb pitching by Fearing, who allowed just two hits in his four and two-thirds innings on the mound.

The offense was the other side of the coin in this game as Osakis pounded out 18 hits in the game, with Berberich collecting four for four runs batted in.

Frederick had three hits to bring home three runs, with Zimmel also rapping three hits. Fearing had a pair of hits, both doubles, while Giesler and Fortenberry had two hits each.

The championship game proved to be much closer as Osakis won 4-2, using three late-inning runs to pick up the win.

Osakis grabbed an early lead as Frederick slapped a one-out double in the first, reaching second on a ground out by Fearing, and scoring on a double by Zimmel.

Alexandria came back with a run in the third on a walk to Grant Toivonen, who moved to third on a single by Spencer Lucas, then scoring on a fielder’s choice hit by Casey Hammerbeck.

The VFW I team added their final run in the fourth, taking a lead as Jake Booth hit a two-out double, then scored on a single by Chris Leary.

Osakis rallied back for three runs in the fifth as Scherr singled, Berberich reached on an error and Frederick singled home Scherr. Fearing then doubled home Scherr and Frederick.

Berberich claimed the win as he went six innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits, with Frederick getting the save.

GAME SUMMARIES

COLD SPRING 010 000 0 1-10-0

OSAKIS 000 102 X 3-8-1

OSAKIS PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Devin Waldvogel (W) 6-9-1-1-0-3; Doug Zimmel (S) 1-1-0-0-0-0.

OSAKIS HITTING – Drew Fearing 1-2, 2 runs, 1 bb; Doug Zimmel 2-3, 1 rbi; Brandon Giesler 2-3, 1 run, 1 rbi; Jordan Mack 2-2, 1 bb; Brady Berberich 1 bb; Hunter Scherr 1-3, 1 rbi.

ELK RIVER 000 102 0 3-7-0

OSAKIS 000 400 X 4-10-0

OSAKIS PITCHING – Doug Zimmel (W) 7-7-3-3-2-7.

OSAKIS HITTING – L. Berberich 1-3, 1 bb; Jordan Frederick 1-3, 1 bb, 1 rbi; Fearing 1-4, 1 run; Zimmel 2-3, 1 run, 1 rbi; Waldvogel 1-2; Geisler 1-3, 1 run, 1 bb; Mack 1-3, 1 bb, 1 rbi; Grayson Fortenberry 1-3, 1 run, 1 rbi; Scherr 1-3.

OSAKIS 006 721 16-18-1

ALEX VFW II 010 400 5-4-0

OSAKIS PITCHING – Drew Fearing (W) 4.2-2-1-1-4-1.

OSAKIS HITTING – L. Berberich 4-5, 2 runs, 2b, 4 rbi; Frederick 3-4, 1 run, 1 bb, 3 rbi; Fearing 2-4, 2 runs, 2 2bs, 1 rbi; Zimmel 3-4, 2 runs, 2b, 1 rbi; Waldvogel 1 run; Giesler 2-4, 2 runs, 1 rbi; Mack 1-1, 2 runs, 3 bb, 2 rbi; Fortenberry 2-4, 2 runs, 2 rbi; Scherr 1-3, 1 run, 1 bb, 2 rbi.

OSAKIS 100 030 0 4-6-0

ALEX VFW I 001 100 0 2-8-1

OSAKIS PITCHING – L. Berberich (W) 6-6-2-2-1-3; Frederick (S) 1-2-0-0-0-0.

OSAKIS HITTING – L. Berberich 1-3, 1 run; Frederick 2-3, 2 runs, 2b; Fearing 1-3, 2b, 3 rbi; Zimmel 1-3, 1 rbi; Scherr 1-3, 1 run.

The Osakis Legion had three games last week before competing in the Alexandria tournament over the weekend, winning two of those contests.

Monday, Osakis faced Eden Valley-Watkins, falling 4-3 as a seventh inning rally fell short.

After allowing EVW four runs through the first five innings, Osakis came back with a pair in the sixth as Jordan Frederick and Drew Fearing hit back to back doubles, followed by sacrifice hits by Doug Zimmel and Brandon Giesler.

Osakis then added a final run in the seventh as Hunter Scherr reached first on an error by the second baseman with two outs. A fielder’s choice allowed Scherr to score, but the inning was cut short as Lane Berberich, who reached on an error, was thrown out.

Frederick, Fearing, Zimmel and Jordan Mack each collected one hit in the game.

Frederick took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits and a walk, striking out six along the way.

Tuesday, the Osakis team took on Browerville for an 8-6 win as Zimmel earned the win, going the distance. He gave up 10 hits, but walked just one and struck out three.

Osakis took an early 7-2 lead, and allowed Browerville to score twice in the sixth before adding one more of their own runs in the bottom of that inning.

Browerville made a run at Osakis in the seventh as Zimmel gave up a single and two doubles with two outs to score twice, but got out of the jam for the win.

Zimmel also aided his own cause with three hits in the game, driving home three runs.

Frederick had a pair of hits and scored four times in the game, driving home one, with Berberich bringing home a pair of runs.

Thursday, Osakis hosted New London-Spicer in a 5-4 victory as Frederick had to go nine innings to earn the win.

Osakis trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but put up a pair of runs as Berberich and Frederick both walked, coming around on a sacrifice by Fearing and a pair of errors by New London-Spicer, tying the game.

NLS added a run in the top of the ninth to take the lead, but Osakis scored twice in the bottom of the ninth as Fearing hit a one-out triple and Zimmel connected for a fielder’s choice. Fortenberry and Giesler then singled them home to end the game.

Osakis will now open Sub-District tournament action tomorrow, Thursday, at 6 p.m. at home when they play the winner of the Eden Valley-Watkins/Glenwood game.

Saturday the team will be at New London-Spicer for continued tournament play. They will play at 11 a.m. if they lose tomorrow’s game and at 1 p.m. if they win.

There is an admission cost for Sub-District play - $5 for adults and $3 for students.

GAME STATISTICS

EV-WATKINS 100 030 1 4-4-5

OSAKIS 000 002 1 3-4-1

OSAKIS PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) – Jordan Frederick 7-4-4-4-1-6.

OSAKIS HITTING – Jordan Frederick 1-3, 2b, 1 run, 1 rbi; Drew Fearing 1-3, 2b, 1 rbi; Doug Zimmel 1-2; Jordan Mack 1-3; Hunter Scherr 1 run.

BROWERVILLE 110 002 2 6-10-2

OSAKIS 104 201 X 8-7-2

OSAKIS PITCHING – Doug Zimmel (W) 7-10-4-4-1-3.

OSAKIS HITTING – Lane Berberich 1-4, 2 run; Frederick 2-2, 4 runs, 1 rbi; Zimmel 3-4, 1 run, 3 rbi; Grayson Fortenberry 1 run, 3 bb; Austin Rollag 1 run, 1 bb, 1 rbi; Jordan Mack 2 bb, 1 rbi; Brady Berberich 1-3, 2 rbi.

NL-SPICER 110 000 001 4-11-6

OSAKIS 100 000 202 5-7-4

OSAKIS PITCHING – Frederick (W) 9-11-3-1-1-4.

OSAKIS HITTING – Berberich 2-3, 2 runs, 2b, 2bb; Frederick 1-3, 1 run, 2 bb; Fearing 1-4, 1 run, 3b; Zimmel 4 rbi; Foretenberry 1-4, 1 bb; Giesler 1-4, 1 bb; Devin Waldvogel 1-3; Mack 1 bb.

Tags: osakis sports, sports, legion, baseball