REDS FINISH SIXTH IN JIM KARN MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

The Crookston Reds Amateur Baseball team bounced back from a pair of tough games to beat the Bonivital Brewers 11-1 Sunday morning to take sixth in the field of seven teams.  

Marble won the tournament beating Tolna in the Championship for the second straight year by a score of 7-2.  The Cartwright Twins took third, Pilot Mound Mounds fourth, Park Rapids Esox fifth, and the Bonivital Brewers were seventh. 

Dave Grabowski opened the game with a leadoff single and following a popout moved to third when Bailey Schmitz reached on an error.  Owen Ellefson followed with an RBI single and Crookston led 1-0.  

In the third inning, Riley Thompson drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single by Schmitz. Thompson was then forced out a third when Ellefson hit into a third to first double play with Schmitz advancing to second.  Matt Morin singled to put runners on the corners before Lars Brevik singled to left center to make it 2-0.  “Guys were loose, guys were planning good,” said acting co-manager for the day Bailey Schmitz. “Owen through strikes and we found the holes.” 

The Reds added to their lead in the fourth inning when Blake Kawlewski, Aaron Butcher and Grabowski all singled to load the bases.  After a popout, Schmitz picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice that forced out Grabowski at second.  Ellefson followed with a single to score Butcher to make it 4-0. 

The Reds blew the game open in the fifth after Brevik was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Alex Wolfe and Kawlewski followed with singles to load the bases.  Butcher then grounded into a fielder’s choice forcing out Kawlewski at second that scored Brevik.  Following a popout, Riley Thompson singled to score Wolfe to make it 6-0.  Schmitz then stepped in and lifted the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a three-run home run to make it 9-0. “It was a big inning,” said Schmitz.  “It was hit parade.  We played a pretty clean game defensively considering we’ve had a lot of errors this season.”

The Reds extended the lead in the sixth when Brevik reached on an error and Wolfe was walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out.  Kawlewski grounded out to first and after stepping on the bag the first baseman fired wide to third but the throw got away scoring Brevik and moving Kawlewski to third.  Aaron Butcher picked up an RBI groundout and Crookston led 11-0. Bonivital would get their lone run with two outs in the sixth after a pair of walks put runners on first and second. Ellefson then tried to pick off the runner on second and the throw sailed to center allowing the lead runner to score to make it 11-1.  

The Reds finish the Jim Karn Memorial Tournament 2-2 and are now 6-6 on the season.  They return to the field Thursday when they travel to Bemidji to play the Blue Ox. 

For Crookston
Dave Grabowski 3-5, R
Bailey Schmitz 2-4, HR, 4 RBI

For Bonivital
Matt Tallman 1-3
Shea Budge 1-2, BB