Bird Island, Loretto battle in longest playoff game in Minnesota town ball history

It took 5 hours, 36 minutes and 21 innings to resolve a Minnesota city ball playoff recreation Sunday night time. It featured a walk-off hit by a school baseball coach and an epic duel between beginning pitchers who’re the sons of former Main League Baseball gamers. 

Ultimately, it was Fowl Island successful 3-2 over Loretto at Memorial Park in Dundas, breaking the document for the longest playoff recreation within the 99-year event’s historical past. The earlier document was 20 innings, having occurred 3 times in Minnesota Baseball Affiliation historical past: 

• 2017: Brooklyn Park beat Elko, 4-3
• 1976: Cyrus beat Fairfax, 2-1
• 1971: Hector beat Stark, 2-1

Josh Kingery, the 19-year-old from Atwater who’s the son of former MLB participant Mike Kinger, began for Fowl Island as one of many crew’s draftees. He pitched 12 innings, placing out 13 and permitting two runs on six hits and three walks. 

Of the 169 pitches he threw, one was a mistake and former Minnesota Twins third baseman Corey Koskie made him pay with a two-run homer within the seventh inning. 

Koskie’s son, Caleb Koskie, began on the mound for Loretto. He gave up two runs in 7.2 innings earlier than giving method to the bullpen, together with Buffalo Bullfrogs draftee Jon Euerle, who gave up an unearned run on a flare to heart area within the backside of the twenty first inning. 

The successful hit was by Tyler Hebrink, who’s the top baseball coach at Ridgewater School in Willmar. 

“Tonight, I used to be the shedding pitcher of document, ending the season of a crew not my very own. With that mentioned, at age 36, that is the best baseball I’ve ever been part of and one I’ll always remember. It epitomizes why all of us nonetheless play the sport,” tweeted Euerle, who struck out 12 in eight innings of aid. 

In accordance with the Minnesota Baseball Affiliation, there have been 662 pitches thrown, 48 strikeouts, 20 hits, 15 walks and 9 errors within the recreation. 

Fowl Island advances to the spherical of 16 and can play the Crimson Wing Aces at 11 a.m. Saturday in Faribault. The Class C semifinals are Sept. 4 and the championship recreation is Sept. 5.