Senior pitcher Sam Baier made up ground quick for Springfield.
Baier surrendered two runs to Adrian (20-7) in the top of the first inning, but he led off the bottom half with a double and scored one of three runs in the inning. The Tigers (20-6) never trailed again and won 5-4 in the Class 1A semifinal game at Chaska Athletic Park.
“You want him to have the ball in his hands at that time,” Tigers coach Bob Fink said. “He led us to a victory.”
Zach Loosbrock, Adrian's junior catcher, got his team going with a two-run double in the first inning before Baier finished the side strong with a couple strikeouts. Baier and the Tigers' fielders took over in the second through fourth innings, allowing just one hit.
Springfield jumped ahead 4-2 on junior short stop Branden Flock's line-drive single in the bottom of the second. Flock went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
“I just turned it on the first game at state and carried through to this game,” Flock said.
Logan Rogers, Adrian's star senior pitcher, settled down in the third with a couple of his six strikeouts. He pitched a combined 13 innings in two state tournament games.
“He wasn't slowing down at all,” Tigers senior catcher Jaden Mickelson said.
In the fifth inning, Flock's line-drive single against Rogers score freshman courtesy runner Noah Solomonson to give Springfield a 5-2 lead.
Adrian responded with two runs in the sixth, scored by senior short stop Michael Preuss and junior second baseman Jacob Stamer.
“I knew we needed one more break and didn't get it,” Dragons coach Kevin Nowotny said.
Baier, also a state wrestling champion, finished off the seventh, giving the Tigers a second consecutive shot at a state title in a game against Parkers Prairie on Monday at Target Field. Springfield fell to New Life Academy in last season's final.
“We're looking forward to another chance at it,” Fink said.
