When Eden Prairie faced Lake Conference rival Edina at Braemar Field earlier this season, the Eagles' Ryan Swanson pitched a shutout while team captain Charlie Sheehan belted a home run to secure a one-run victory.

Sheehan, a St. Louis commit, was again crucial for Eden Prairie as it faced Edina in the Class 4A, Section 2 championship Tuesday night at Braemar Field, hitting a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game.

But it was Mark Ehresman who proved to be the hero on this night, smacking a bouncer to center field that scored two runs and clinched a 4-3 extra-innings victory for Eden Prairie. The Eagles play the Hornets tomorrow night to decide the section champion.

“(The ball) hit the ground before I left the box,” Ehresman said. “I was a little behind it, but the timing was perfect and I got it up the middle to score both of those guys.”

The Nebraka-Omaha commit's clutch hit extended the playoff hopes of the third-seeded Eagles (17-9), who were facing elimination after dropping their opening game of the section tournament to Prior Lake.

Ranked No. 16 in Class 4A by Let’s Play Baseball, Eden Prairie has since won five consecutive games, putting itself in position to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2014.

Sheehan carried the pitching load for the Eagles, tallying eight strikeouts in eight innings before being relieved by junior Jack Zigan.

Zigan has been the usual closer this season, but did not play in Eden Prairie’s shutout of the No. 8-ranked Hornets earlier this season due to a lower body issue.

Entering Tuesday's game in the bottom of the ninth and Eden Prairie leading top-seeded Edina 4-2, Zigan kept the suspense bubbling by walking the first batter he faced. He then gave up an RBI single to Logan Krenik, and the jam grew worse when he walked Ben Vanhove to load the bases with two outs.

“To start, I felt confident,” Zigan said. “I felt like I wasn't hitting my spots. Once I started aiming it, they got good pitches to hit and I put myself in a tough situation.”

Between batters, Zigan mumbled "relax" into his glove, a routine that helps the junior tune out all of the surrounding noise and pressure.

“For me, I like to zone everything out to just me and the catcher,” he said. “Take deep breaths, and it helped out tonight even though I didn’t have my good stuff.”

Zigan got Brock Boltmann to ground out to the shortstop, ending the Hornets’ rally and extending the series into tomorrow.

“He’s been our closer all year long, he’s a guy we rely on,” Eden Prairie coach John Buteyn said. “It wasn’t pretty, but we got the outs we needed.”

The win didn’t come without some sacrifice, as centerfielder Kal Lunde sustained a concussion that, due to Minnesota State High School League protocol, requires a 24-hour rest period.

Still, Eden Prairie (17-9) is confident it can pull off a third victory against Edina (19-5) at Braemar Field, having lost only twice on the road this season.

“We’re ecstatic to go play this extra game. It was a huge grind and we all feel like we have the momentum,” Zigan said.

“Ever since that home run, we now have the momentum and we’re going to take it into tomorrow,” Ehresman added.


Edina scores first when outfielder Jason Sarp knocks in two runs on a triple in the second inning. Photo by Cheryl Myers.

First Report

Eden Prairie defeated Edina 4-3 in extra innings Tuesday night at Braemar Field in Edina in the Class 4A, Section 2 championship.

The Eagles (17-9), ranked No. 16 in Class 4A by Let’s Play Baseball, didn't take their first lead until the top of the ninth inning when Mark Ehresman drove in the winning runs with a two-RBI double. 

Eden Prairie junior pitcher Jack Zigan entered in the ninth inning to close the game out and send the Eagles to the state tournament.

Charlie Sheehan was also big for Eden Prairie, hitting a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings.

Spotlight Game Coverage