Even as Belle Plaine, playing in the school's first baseball state tournament, trailed Maple Lake 4-0 after three innings Friday in the Class 2A semifinals, the Tigers weren’t worried.
“We talk amongst ourselves and say all it takes is one positive attitude,” senior Wes Sarsland said.
A four-run fifth inning, including Sarsland’s game-tying single through the right side of the infield, proved them right as top-seeded Belle Plaine (25-1) advanced to the championship game with a 6-4 victory over Maple Lake (23-7).
Even before the fifth inning, Belle Plaine head coach Pat Schultz said, the atmosphere in the dugout was positive. “We were pretty upbeat, we knew we could hit and had pitching depth,” Schultz said.
“We were looking for whatever we could find,” he added.
Maple Lake got a first-inning home run from senior Jack Seibert to take the lead. Siebert finished with three hits and three RBI.
Maple Lake reliever junior Hunter Malachek struggled in relief, allowing two runs while getting just one out. Malachek pitched Maple Lake to the win as a starter in the quarterfinal.
Belle Plaine’s rally included a two-run double by junior Nathan Herman. Junior Brody Curtiss scored twice, including a steal of home in the fifth.
Curtiss will likely start the state championship game for Belle Plaine though Schultz wouldn’t rule out other options.
“We have a lot of pitching depth,” Schultz said.
The Tigers are set to play for the championship at 1 p.m. Monday at Target Field. Before storms moved in Friday, the Irish were scheduled to play in the third place game to be held later in the day in St. Cloud.
