PRINT ADS

Dillon Martinez scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Jeren Kendall making a game-saving catch on the warning track in the top of the sixth, helping the Holmen Main Street Ingredients 12-and-under baseball team to a 7-6 win over North Hennepin, Minn. in the championship game of last weekend's Stars of Tomorrow open tournament.

Holmen trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, but produced the final margin with three runs. Main Street Ingredients notched three straight hits to get within 6-5, then scored the tying run when Kendall reached on a dropped pop up, setting the stage for Martinez.

Holmen had taken a 4-1 lead in the fourth after Tyler Anderson doubled and scored to lead off the frame. Griffin Johnson followed with another double, and scored, to push the lead to 3-1.

Ryan Wesely earned the win in relief, allowing one hit and one walk over the final 1 2/3 innings, but not without some tense moments. North Hennepin had the tying run in scoring position and go-ahead run on base when Kendall saved at least a one-out double.

“Both teams struck out once and there were runners on in every inning,” Main Street Ingredients coach Doug Wesely said. “There was a lot of back and forth.”

Holmen also had its share of tense moments in its 9-6, eight-inning, semifinal win over Lake Villa, Ill., the same team they beat to win a Continental Amateur Baseball Association qualifier in Watertown June 15. Lake Villa had the game-winning run at third with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh, before Wesely struck out the next two batters.

Wesely got the next hitter to ground hard to third baseman Greg Rooney, who made a do-or-die play to snag the ball. His throw to first baseman Michael Woggon was low, but Woggon was able to convert the scoop and force another extra inning.

Wesely broke the 6-6 tie in the eighth with a two-run, bases-loaded single. Lake Villa was able to get the tying run to the plate in the bottom half, but the game ended when catcher Tyler Anderson cut down a runner attempting to steal.

Joe Hudson had three hits and scored three runs for Main Street Ingredients, while Woggon had three hits and scored twice. Matt Cejka and Anderson contributed two hits each.

“The North Hennepin coach told us after the championship game that he's never seen a batting order that's as strong as ours No. 1 through No. 9,” Wesely said. “But we also stress throwing strikes and making plays on defense. We strike out a lot more guys in our local games.

“They're a good group. They enjoy competing and they enjoy baseball, too.”

Holmen cruised to the semifinals, outscoring Westby/Chaseburg-Coon Valley, Muskego and Germantown 29-2. Rooney earned a complete-game win against Germantown, coming within a leadoff single up the middle in the second of a no-hitter.

“We played pretty good defense the whole weekend,” Wesely said.

Ryan Wesely pitched five innings of two-hit ball in a 6-0 win over Muskego, Kendall and Woggon had three hits each.

Rott pitched four innings of two-hit ball in a 12-1 win over Westby/C-CV. Main Street Ingredients blew the game open with eight 2nd-inning runs.