(Picture By) Matt Bunke/Republic
Members of the Canova Gang race out of the dugout as they celebrate the final out in their come-from-behind win over the defending champion Dell Rapids Mudcats in a quarterfinal game at the Class B state amateur baseball tournament at Cadwell Park.

Canova’s eighth-inning clutch hitting sent the Gang within two wins of their first state title since 1979 Thursday night at the Class B state amateur tournament at Cadwell Park.

Pickup player Thomas Gulledge hit a two-out, two-RBI double to the right field corner in the bottom of the eighth, giving Canova a 10-9 lead — its first lead since the third inning.

“I knew exactly what I was looking for in that last hit,” Gulledge said. “He threw it in the exact spot I was looking for. I had confidence that if we didn’t get it done in the eighth, we’d get it done in the bottom of the ninth.”

In the next at-bat, Jason Miller hit a two-RBI double, and in the bottom of the ninth Lincoln Gassman got the final three outs and the Gang defeated the Class B defending champion Dell Rapids Mudcats 12-9.

Going into the eighth, the Mudcats had built a 9-4 lead.

Gulledge led the inning off with a looping single to right field and Miller walked behind him. Kevin Leighton picked up his first hit of the game with a hard liner to left to load the bases and Jared Hegdahl walked to get the Gang within four. Miller scored in the next at-bat on a wild pitch and Nick Keopsell hit a bouncing ground ball past Dell Rapids’ shortstop to score two runs.

“It didn’t look good; there’s no doubt about that,” Canova manager Dave Gassman said. “We hadn’t been hitting the ball. They got a few runs that probably shouldn’t have happened. It came back for us and we got a few hits, next thing you know we’ve got eight runs and we’re up.”

Two batters after Keopsell’s single, Grant Olson hit a tapper to the pitcher, who misplayed the ball and allowed runners on first and second. Devin Alfson walked in the next at-bat and then Gulledge dropped his shot down the line.

“I like all of (Canova’s guys) and when I heard they picked me up I was excited because I knew I had a chance at a state title,” said Gulledge, who normally plays for Salem. “Every year they come in and they’ve got a real shot.”

The Gang turned to Jared Donahue to take the mound after helping his team to a first-round win over Larchwood, Iowa. Donahue cruised through the first three innings, but Gulledge made an error at third to score a run and the Mudcats’ No. 9 hitter doubled to right center to get the Mudcats within one run.

Donahue struck out two batters in the fifth to leave Mudcat base runners on second and third, but Dell Rapids took the lead in the sixth on two unearned runs when Leighton dropped a fly ball and Gulledge tried to throw home on a bases-loaded grounder, but the throw was too low, giving the Mudcats a one-run lead.

The Mudcats scored three more runs in the top of the eighth on three RBI singles, exiting Donahue from the game.

“He was gassed,” Dave Gassman said. “The kid gave us everything he had and that’s all you can ask from him.”

Donahue threw 7.2 innings, a total of 162 pitches and struck out 11 Dell Rapids batters.

Gulledge was the only Canova hitter with more than one hit. He went 3-for-5 with four RBIs.

“I don’t think there’s a person here that didn’t get their monies worth tonight,” Dave Gassman said. “First, they probably thought we were going to win by a lot, then they were going to win by a lot and then we get eight runs in the ninth. That was quite a ball game.”***************Daily Republic Mitchell