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Seventh-inning rally propels Duluth Marshall to 2A championship

By JIM PAULSEN, Star Tribune, 06/20/19, 5:00PM CDT

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Trailing by one, the top-seeded Hilltoppers used four hits to score three runs for a 4-2 victory over Minnehaha Academy.


Maddux Baggs, left, Peter Hansen and Ben Pedersen celebrated Duluth Marshall’s 4-2 win over Minnehaha Academy in the Class 2A title game at Target Field. Photo: ELIZABETH FLORES • liz.flores@startribune.com

A two-run deficit? No problem. Duluth Marshall had trailed by at least that many in each of its first two state tournament games and came back to win. Why would Thursday be any different?

The Hilltoppers rallied with a single run in the top of the sixth inning, then scored three more in the top of the seventh en route to a 4-2 victory over Minnehaha Academy in the Class 2A championship game at Target Field.

“I told them ‘I do not know how, I just know that we will do this,’ ” Duluth Marshall coach Joe Wicklund said of his team’s seventh-inning outburst. “We kind of relaxed and started hitting baseballs all over the park.”

The victory secured the first baseball state championship for a team from Duluth since 1950.

First report

Duluth Marshall rallied with three runs in the top of the seventh inning, turning a one-run deficit into a two-run lead, and held on for a 4-2 victory over Minnehaha Academy on Thursday in the Class 2A championship game.

Cole Maccoux led off the seventh with a double to center and went to third on an error by the centerfielder. Alex Busick followed with a run-scoring single to tie the game 2-2. After the next two batters made outs, Carter Sullivan tripled to right field, scoring Busick. Peter Hansen’s single up the middle drove in the fourth run for the top-seeded Hilltoppers (26-1).

Duluth Marshall pitcher Ben Pederson gave up two runs and scattered five in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine.

Minnehaha Academy, which was making its fourth championship game appearance in the last five seasons, finished 20-5.

Check back later for more on the game.

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