Sports
Wayzata Jr. Legion Falls To Excelsior in State Title Game
Excelsior defeats Wayzata 4-0 Wednesday to earn Minnesota state Junior American Legion baseball championship; both teams advance to regional tournament in Fargo next week
Griffen Powell broke up a pitcher’s duel in style Wednesday evening, slamming a two-out, three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to power the Excelsior Legion Post 259 to a 4-0 state championship win over Wayzata in the finals of the Junior League state tournament at Eagan High School.
Both teams advance to the Junior League Regional Tournament Aug. 4 through 8 in Fargo, N.D.
Excelsior will play the Missouri state champion in the first round of the regional tournament Thursday, Aug. 4 at 11:30 a.m. Wayazta will also play next Thursday, meeting the host Fargo Bombers at 7 p.m.
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"The guys competed, I'm really proud of them," said Wayzata head coach Mike Brundisi. "It was a long journey to get here, losing to Tonka a couple of days ago and making our way through the losers' bracket. So we wanted their number today, but it just didn't work out for us. Guys battled. I'm really proud of how the guys competed for seven innings."
Excelsior went undefeated in winning the state tournament. It was the team’s third state title to go along with six runner-up finishes.
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In Wednesday’s final Excelsior led 1-0 heading into the seventh inning as both starting pitchers Jared Ridge for the Tonka Mudhens and Joe Hubert for Wayazta were in control of the game.
But Wayzata coach elected to pull a tiring Hubert from the game after issuing a one-out walk to Excelsior’s No. 9 batter, Aaron Kubal. Kubal, however, was picked off trying to steal second for the second out of the inning.
Excelsior’s Phil Katapodis then coaxed a walk out of Wayzata relief pitcher Sorensen, and Ridge was hit by a pitch to put two on and two out for Powell.
Powell’s blast to left was a no-doubter, getting out of the park in a hurry.
Ridge then set down Wayzata quietly in the bottom of the seventh to earn the complete game win.
“We’ve been playing so well the last two weeks,” said Excelsior coach Robert Melde. “So to come out here and accomplish the feat of being state champions, going undefeated through the tournament, that’s just great. We’ve got some pitching, some great hitting, timely hitting, great defense.
“I would have liked to seen Mr. Powell, who hit the home run, if he would have ended the game with the catch over the fence, that would have been the cherry on top,” added Melde, who is stepping down as head coach after 10 years of topping the program. “But it’s something that’s especially sweet.”