LQPV wins twice to upset DB in Section 3A championship (2024)

Photo by Jake McNeillDawson-Boyd pitcher Tygan Long steps into a pitch during the first game of the Section 3A championship against Lac qui Parle Valley on Thursday. The Eagles stole consecutive games from the Blackjacks to claim a Class A state tournament berth.

GRANITE FALLS — After defeating No. 2N Lac qui Parle Valley in the Section 3A baseball tournament semifinals on Saturday, the top-seeded Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks couldn’t find the magic again on Thursday. LQPV rolled past Adrian-Ellsworth 3-2 in the elimination bracket to force a rematch against Dawson-Boyd in the finals, where they defeated the Blackjacks 3-1 and 7-2.

The Blackjacks finish their season at 17-5. They graduate just one senior, Blake Thompson, from their roster, leaving reason for the group to be optimistic about the future despite the disappointing ending.

Game 1

LQPV 3, Dawson-Boyd 1

Lac qui Parle got on the board early with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Dylan Kemig started the game with a walk and, after being bunted over to second, Kaden Mortenson singled to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Kaden Molden drilled a two-run double to center field to put the Eagles in control.

Dyllon Molden continued his big day at the plate with another clutch hit in the top of the fifth. Geiser reached base on an error with one out and, with two outs, Molden sent another hard-hit ball into right field to drive in Geiser for a 3-0 Lac qui Parle advantage.

With their backs against the wall with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Blackjacks started to gain momentum. Blake Thompson walked, Nathan Hansen singled and Kameron Sather reached on an error to tload the bases. A Tygan Long single drove in one run but a fly out to shallow center ended the game with a 3-1 LQPV victory.

Long tossed the first 6 2/3 innings for Dawson-Boyd before being pulled due to the pitch limit. He allowed three earned runs and one unearned on three hits and seven walks. He also struck out four batters on the day before being relieved by Hansen, who got out the one batter he faced.

Davis Patzer pitched the first four innings for the Eagles but was relieved after walking Beau Johnson and Thompson to start the fifth. The Blackjacks were able to advance their runners to second and third but Mortenson got three outs to escape the inning unscathed.

Patzer allowed three hits and six walks over his time on the mound. Yet, he was able to hold the Blackjacks scoreless and struck out three batters in the process. Kaden Mortenson held the Blackjacks to one unearned run on two hits and a walk over three innings of relief. He also struck out three batters.

Long had two singles and a walk for the Blackjacks while Johnson added a double to help lead the offense. Molden led the Eagles with two doubles on the day while a Mortenson single accounted for the team’s only other hit.

In the top of the sixth, LQPV loaded the bases with two outs courtesy of three walks but Hansen fielded a hard-hit ball at short and tossed it to Thompson on third to end the inning.

Game 2

LQPV7,

Dawson-Boyd 2

With the game tied at one run apiece, Lac qui Parle Valley pulled ahead with a fourth-inning rally. Kaden Molden was hit by a pitch, T.J. Mitchell reached on an error and Landon Weber walked to load the bases with no outs. From there, Bradyn Danzeisen hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Molden and a Dawson-Boyd error attempting to catch a runner stealing allowed the Eagles to tally another pair of runs.

One inning later, Davis Patzer doubled to center and scored on a passed ball for a 5-1 lead.

The Blackjacks and Eagles each scored a run in the second inning to keep the game deadlocked at one run apiece. Dawson-Boyd got on the board when Kameron Sather walked and scored on a Tygan Long single but LQPV responded in the bottom of the frame when Davis Patzer and Molden walked consecutively and, after being bunted to second and third, Patzer scored on a Weber ground out.

Blake Thompson pitched the first 3 1/3 innings for Dawson-Boyd. While he allowed four runs, three of them were unearned. He held the Eagles without a hit and struck out two batters with four walks. In relief, Nathan Hansen pitched 2 2/3 frames, allowing three earned runs on two hits and six walks with four strikeouts.

The Blackjacks tagged on one last run in the top of the sixth after Thompson and Kameron Sather singled and Tygan Long scored Thompson on an error. Colton Bothun walked to load the bases but a pop out left the Dawson-Boyd rally short. After the Eagles added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the frame, they retired the Blackjacks in order in the seventh to close out the game.

Dawson-Boyd outhit the Eagles 5-2 in the game, with Long, Sather, Hansen, Thompson, Eli Olson and Beau Johnson each recording a hit. Molden recorded both of the Eagles’ hits while also drawing a walk.

Kaden Mortenson pitched the first four innings for LQPV, allowing one run on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Brock Bornjeld tossed the last three innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits and two walks.

Dawson-Boyd finishes the year as section runners-up.