Windom 010 000 000 = 1-6-3
Milroy 000 002 20x = 4-4-2
Much like they did in the opening game of the series, the Milroy Irish rallied in the late innings Friday night, topping the Windom Pirates 4-1 in Region 13C semifinal action at Irish Yard.
The win clinched an automatic state tournament berth for the Irish, who will face Luverne to determine the top seed out of Region 13C.
Meanwhile, the Pirates will face Hadley in a best-of-three series, beginning tonight (Wednesday) at Island Park, to determine the third and final team to advance to the Class C State Tournament.
Friday’s game started in similar fashion as Wednesday’s series opener, with the Pirates striking first. In the top of the second, Kobe Lovell led off with a single, Conner Redman singled and Kyle Espenson hit an RBI single.
But Milroy pitchers held the Pirates to just three hits the rest of the way, with none coming after the fourth inning.
Meanwhile, Pirate pitcher Luke Gilbertson cruised through the first four innings, but started to run into trouble in the fifth. A double play got Windom out of a jam in the fifth inning, but Milroy was able to put two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, then added two more in the seventh.
The Pirates’ were able to put the potential tying run at the plate with no outs in the top of the ninth, but a fielder’s choice and a pair of strikeouts ended the threat and the game.
Lovell and Espenson each had two of the Pirates’ six hits.
Gilbertson took the complete-game pitching loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits and striking out four.
The Pirates will now take on Hadley in a best-of-three series to determine the third seed out of Region 13C to the state tournament. Game one is tonight (Wednesday) at Island Park, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Game two will be played Saturday in Hadley, beginning at 2 p.m. Game three, if necessary, will be Sunday at Island Park, beginning at 2 p.m.
