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GAME OF THE WEEK (American Legion baseball): Fennimore 16, Osseo 3
Fennimore
Pictured are players and coaches with Fennimore Post 184 veterans (front, from left): Isaiah Place, Herb Brun, Rick Staskal, Emory Bloyer, Trey Hunt, Derek Turben, Curtiss Freymiller, Bob Griffith, Sheldon Bartels, Jordan Williams, (back, standing) head coach Heath Ahnen, Tyler Hach, Will Ahnen, Gavyn Muench, Curt Cole, Mike Reinsbach, Larry Moore III, Jake Adkins, Trevor Neuroth, Noah Hromadka and assistant coach Rick Place.

SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (July 31–Aug. 7)

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL CLASS A STATE TOURNAMENT (semifinal): Fennimore 16, Osseo 3

OSSEO — The Fennimore Post 184 American Legion baseball team qualified for the Division 2 Central Plains Regional with a second-place finish at the Wisconsin Class A State Tournament that was held at Osseo’s Merchants Field July 27–31.

Post 184 avenged its first loss in the eight-team double-elimination state tournament by hammering host Osseo 16–3 last Tuesday evening to advance to the championship game against Waupun later that night. Osseo defeated Fennimore 17–5 in the second round on.

In Tuesday’s elimination game rematch with Osseo, Fennimore scored 10 runs, nine with two outs, in the bottom of the second inning to take a commanding 11–0 lead and cruised to an easy five-inning run-rule victory that earned them a spot in the Class A state championship game as well as the Great Plains Regional.

The top two finishers in the state tournament advanced to this week’s Central Plains Regional, that began Thursday in Wahpeton, N.D.

Hunt singled to lead off the bottom of the first, later stole third and scored on a throwing error by the Osseo catcher to make it 1–0. 

Then the floodgates opened in the Fennimore second. Isaiah Place single to start the rally. After a fielder’s choice ground out, Hromadka doubled to left and Hunt’s sac fly made it 2–0.

Will Ahnen walked and Williams ripped a two-run double. Neuroth followed with an RBI triple and scored on a throwing error to make it 6–0.

Moore doubled, Hach singled and Place walked to reload the bases, then Adkins promptly greeted Osseo relief pitcher Andrew Christopherson with a two-run double.

Place scored on another Osseo error, and Hunt and Ahnen added RBI single to cap the rally. 

Hunt finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and picked up the win on the mound, allowing three runs on four hits in the five-inning complete game.

Moore was also 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Adkins finished with two hits, three RBI and three runs scored. Williams (2-for-4) and Hromadka (2-for-2) each had two hits in the win.

Fennimore staved off elimination a day earlier with an 9–5 eight-inning victory over eventual champion Waupun.

“After that big win against Waupun, that helped momentum,” said Ahnen. “And the feeling that Osseo beat up on us good the first game against them and wanting to prove we were the better team was also a motivating factor. Hitting was contagious that game. Up and down the lineup everyone was contributing. Baseball is funny that way. It was a completely different demeanor to start that game than the first time we played Osseo.”

The Warriors, who won the WIAA Division 2 state championship this spring, won the rematch with Fennimore in Tuesday’s night’s Class A state title game 8–2.

Fennimore (24–6) opens the Central Plains Regional against Minnesota Division 2 champion Le Sueur/Henderson Thursday at 1 p.m.

American Legion Class A State Tourney

Fennimore 16, Osseo 3

(from Tuesday, July 31 @ Fennimore)

Osseo 001 20 —   3   4  5

Fennimore 1(10)5 0x — 16 16  1

Leading hitters — F: Trey Hunt 3x4, Jordan Williams 2x4, Larry Moore 3x4, Jake Adkins 2x3, Noah Hromadka 2x2.  2B — O: Garret Koxlien; F: Jake Adkins, Larry Moore 2, Jordan Williams, Noah Hmoradka. 3B — F: Trevor Neuroth. 

W —Trey Hunt (1–1, 5IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 3K, 2BB). L — Jackson Johnson (1–1, 1.2IP, 7H, 9R, 8ER, 0K, 4BB).