Windom 800 010 4 = 13-12-4
St. James 320 130 0 = 9-10-1
Drama was the story of the night for the Windom Eagles Tuesday, as the Eagles built a lead in dramatic fashion, blew that lead in dramatic fashion, regained the lead in dramatic fashion and ultimately sealed a 13-9 win over St. James in dramatic fashion in the Section 3AA playoffs at Milroy’s Irish Yard.
The Eagles wasted no time jumping all over St. James starter Wyatt Haler. The Eagles pounded out seven hits in the top of the first inning, plating eight runs to take what seemed like a commanding lead.
Henry Erickson started the scoring with an RBI double. Chayton Struck added a two-run single, Jackson Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk, Drew Rothenberger ripped a bases-clearing double and Quintin Tietz added an RBI single in the inning.
St. James slowly chipped away at the Eagle lead, scoring three times in the first, twice in the second and once in the fourth to make the score 8-6.
The Eagles pushed the lead to 9-6 in the top of the fifth on a Tucker Renquist RBI triple.
But the Saints answered, tying the game at 9-9 on a three-run triple in the bottom of the fifth.
It stayed that way until the seventh. With runners on the corners and one out, pinch hitter Wriley Haugen was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. With two outs, Rothenberger launched a 2-1 pitch over the 360-foot sign in left-center field for a grand slam home run, giving the Eagles a 13-9 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Saints put a runner on base with two outs, but a soft flair toward left field was snared by Rothenberger, who dove to his left to snare the soft liner to end the game.
Rothenberger finished the game with three hits and seven RBI in the victory. Tietz added three hits.
Josh Garrison picked up the pitching victory, working the final four innings. He allowed three runs on three hits, walked one and struck out two.
With the win, the Eagles stayed alive in the elimination bracket of the Section 3AA Tournament. The Eagles will take on Montevideo Thursday at 7 p.m., at Legion Field in Marshall.
