Alexandria in must-win situation after falling to top-seeded Sartell early Tuesday afternoon

The Alexandria baseball team had its five-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday as Section 8-3A’s top-seeded Sartell-St. Stephen beat the Cardinals 6-2 at Faber Field in St. Cloud.

The win sends the Sabres (20-3) into the championship round on June 10 needing just one more win to secure the Section 8-3A championship.

Alexandria (14-9) is still alive after the loss as the Cardinals will play again at 4 p.m. on Tuesday against the winner of Bemidji and Rocori. The winner of tonight’s game advances to face the Sabres back in St. Cloud on Thursday at Putz Field at 11 a.m.

Sartell did its damage in the first inning against Alexandria. Charlie Kent led off the bottom of the frame with a single before a walk set up Jack Greenlun for a run-scoring single. Steven Brinkerhoff added a two-run single in the next at-bat before Blake Haus made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly out to right field.

Alexandria starter Shay Endres settled in after that. The Cardinals’ ace went four innings and allowed four hits and three walks. Endres struck out four and posted three straight scoreless frames after the first inning to allow his team to climb back to within 4-2.

JD Hennen singled to lead off the top of the fourth inning for the Cardinals. Grady Anderson doubled him in with two outs, and Anderson scored when a ground ball off the bat of Lake Hagen went for an error at shortstop.

Sartell added an insurance run in each of the fifth and sixth innings off relief pitcher Parker Jendro. Greenlun singled with one out in the fifth before stealing second. He then scored on a throwing error to first base. Calen O’Connell tripled in the sixth inning and scored on a wild pitch.

The six runs were plenty of offense for Sartell’s Chase Heying. Heying threw a complete game in the win.

Alexandria collected five hits off of him and hit a handful of other balls hard that went for outs. Heying struck out seven and kept the rest of the Sabres’ pitchers off the field as they head into Thursday’s championship round with rested arms ready to go.

1/3: Alexandria's Parker Jendro throws in the sixth inning in St. Cloud against Sartell in the Section 8-3A playoffs on June 8, 2021. (Eric Morken / Echo Press)

2/3: Alexandria first baseman Nate Hammerback holds on Sartell's Andrew Ambrosier during the late innings of the Sabres' 6-2 win over the Cardinals in the Section 8-3A playoffs. (Eric Morken / Echo Press)

3/3: Alexandria senior Elijah Holthaus looks in for the pitch from Sartell's Chase Heying during the first inning on June 8, 2021. (Eric Morken / Echo Press)