Despite falling behind by two runs in the first inning, Benilde-St. Margaret’s maintained its composure and came from behind to post a 7-3 win over St. Louis Park in a Section 6AAA winner’s bracket game.

Control issues plagued both starting pitchers as the Red Knights’ Jimmy Cron threw just 32 strikes in 64 pitches over four innings while the Orioles’ Archy Olson needed 71 pitches to get through 3 2/3 innings, throwing just 35 strikes.

Olson walked the first two batters he faced in the top of the first inning but induced Keaton Studsrud into a double-play groundball and escaped unscathed.

Cron was not as fortunate in the bottom of the first as he gave up a one out double to Joe Burnley before issuing walks to Jake Lukasavage and Curt Greenbush to load the bases. Olson then singled just inside third base to drive in Burnley and Lukasavage before getting Andrew Henstein to ground into a double play.

After leaving runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings, BSM final got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Michael Kaminski singled with one out ahead of a walk to Tylver Wyvell. Marshall Hoemke then flew out to Burnley in right-center field with Kaminski advancing to third. Joey Jaramillo’s relay throw from Burnley was wild and allowed Kaminski to score with Wyvell moving to third base.

Chris Landis then followed with an RBI single and John O’Connor followed suit. An RBI single by Lynch gave the Red Knights a 3-2 lead and a walk to Nathan Hanks brought on Kenny Furuli in relief of Olson.

BSM added two runs in the fifth inning when Marshall Hoemke singled and, after a sacrifice bunt by Landis, scored when Chris Racchini fouled off three consecutive pitches before working a full count and then driving a ball to the right-field foul pole for his first career triple. Lynch then followed a base hit to give BSM a 5-1 lead.

SLP managed to get an unearned run back in the bottom of the sixth but Lynch’s bases-loaded single in the seventh gave BSM a pair of insurance runs and Tyler Wyvell, working his third inning in relief on the mound, need just eight pitches to work a 1-2-3 inning against the top of the Orioles’ order to end the game.

Lynch led the Red Knight offense with three singles and a career-high four RBI while reaching base safely in all four of his plate appearances. Kaminski also added a 3-for-3 performance at the plate along with a sacrifice bunt while Hoemke singled twice and scored twice.

Cron, after his first-inning set back, picked up his third win of the season without a loss as he worked four innings, allowing just two runs on two hits while walking four and striking out one. He allowed just one base runner in each of his final three innings of work.

Wyvell, who came onto pitch the final three innings, earned his first career save. He allowed two hits and an unearned run while striking out three.

BSM returns to Parade Stadium tomorrow at 7 p.m. for a match-up with third-seeded Robbinsdale Armstrong in a game between the only unbeaten teams remaining in the Section 6AAA playoffs. The winner will advance to Monday’s 3:30 p.m. championship game while the loser will need to win an elimination game at 1 p.m., Monday.