With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Chaska ninth-grader Benji Hidalgo dug his left foot in at third base. The game was tied and Hidalgo was waiting to take advantage of any Minnetonka miscue. One arose, and he seized it.

When Skippers pitcher Jacob Raether whipped a pitch by catcher Ian Cote, Hidalgo burst down the third-baseline and slid safely across home plate to give the Hawks a 3-2 victory over their section rival Tuesday at Minnetonka High School.

“I was hoping [Raether] would throw a fastball past [the catcher],” Hidalgo said. “When he did, I saw it as my chance and went for it.”

After scoring, Hidalgo jumped up in celebration and ran to his dugout to celebrate with teammates who are all older - and taller - than him.

It’s not easy being a freshman on a team full of juniors and seniors – especially when you’re 5-foot-4. Hidalgo said he gets his fair share of ribbing from the upperclassmen, but he’s learned to take it well.

“It’s pretty fun, and I just deal with all the crap they give me,” he said. “It shows that I can keep up with all the seniors.”

When asked what kind of joshing he has to deal with daily, Hidalgo made eye contact with senior Carter Schmidt and just laughed.

“Aw, we just mess with you man,” Schmidt answered with a grin.

But like Hidalgo said, he can keep up with the seniors. 

Despite the pressure of coming to the plate in the seventh with the game on the line, Hidalgo – the Hawks’ ninth batter – drew a walk and gave life to a Chaska team that had just given up a two-run lead in the bottom of the sixth.

Once he reached base, Hidalgo’s baseball instincts kicked in and helped him score the game-winning run just a few batters later.

Chaska coach Craig Baumann had nothing but praise for Hidalgo, saying the performance of the Hawks’ young player shows body size or age doesn’t determine a player’s success on the diamond. It’s not Hidalgo’s physical game that sets him apart. It’s his mental toughness, Baumann said.

“His mental side is so much stronger than his age,” Baumann added. “He battles his tail off.”

Schmidt also played a huge role in victory for the Hawks (17-3), who are ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by Let’s Play Baseball. 

With the bases loaded in the fourth, Schmidt cranked a fastball over the head the Skippers’ center fielder to drive in two runs to break a scoreless tie.

Schmidt, a three-sport athlete and four-year letterwinner in baseball, said he has come to appreciate the success his team has had this year. A number of college baseball teams have expressed interest in Schmidt, including the University of Nebraska-Omaha and the University of North Dakota.

With the win over No. 10-3A Minnetonka (12-8), the Hawks seem to have the top seed in a loaded Class 3A, Section 2 locked up. It would be another in a long line of triumphs this season for Chaska, which took home the Metro West Conference title and split the season series with rival No. 3-3A Chanhassen.

“It’s amazing. It’s amazing even if I wasn’t a senior,” Schmidt said. “It’s a great accomplishment what we’ve been able to do so far, and we’re going to try to keep it going obviously.”

All it took was a passed ball for Chaska to slip by Minnetonka 3-2 on Tuesday at Minnetonka High School in the regular-season finale that featured two Class 3A, Section 2 opponents.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh inning, a wild pitch from Minnetonka pitcher Jacob Raether got by catcher Ian Cote and allowed Chaska's Benji Hidalgo to hustle his way to home plate for the winning run.

Chaska (17-3), ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by Let’s Play Baseball, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Consecutive singles from Derek Annett, Blake Tritch and Luke Roskam loaded the bases for senior Carter Schmidt, who blasted a double over the center fielder’s head to drive in two.

Chaska’s pitching tandem of Tritch and Zachary Hartford dominated, allowing just three hits through five innings.

But the No. 10 Skippers (12-8) broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning.

With two outs and runners on second and third, Fox Leum cracked a high, long ball just out of the reach of right fielder to bring in both runs and tie the game. Leum entered the game with six RBI and six hits.

Minnetonka’s lead wouldn’t last long, as Chaska scored the winning run in the next half inning.

Chaska, who won the regular season Metro West Conference title, will enter sections on a high note after losing two straight games before Tuesday night’s contest. The Hawks’ and Skippers’ section, is one of the toughest in the state with No. 3 Chanhassen, No. 8 Eden Prairie, No. 18 Hutchison and No. 19 Mankato West as members.

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