Mahtomedi's Jordan Hull celebrated after scoring in the fourth inning against Grand Rapids in the Class 3A championship game Friday at Target Field. Photo: RENÉE JONES SCHNEIDER • renee.jones@startribune.com
Mahtomedi’s veteran presence was simply too much Friday for a youthful and learning Grand Rapids team.
The Zephyrs banged out 15 hits and had another 16 batters reach by walk or hit by pitch en route to a 20-3 victory over the Thunderhawks in the Class 3A championship at Target Field. The game was called after six innings because of the 10-run rule. The 20 runs set a championship game record for most runs by one team.
“This fulfilled a lot of childhood dreams,” said Mahtomedi senior Luke Loughlin, who was 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. “This was a lot of fun. A great way to go out.”
Senior Tony Neubeck added two hits, three RBI and three runs scored. His two-run single in the second inning gave the Zephyrs a 4-0 lead.
“Everybody was on base today,” Neubeck said. “We put a lot of pressure on them every inning.”