Benilde-St. Margaret’s came through the loser’s bracket, with a 7-2 win over Wayzata, but was unable to win a second game as the Red Knights’ season ended with an 8-5 loss to Robbinsdale Armstrong.

Having lost in the winner’s bracket finale, Wednesday, to the Falcons, BSM was forced into the loser’s bracket finale versus the Trojans for the first of Monday’s two games.

Wayzata jumped on top of the Red Knights in the first inning as BSM starter Michael Kaminski struggled through a 23-pitch inning, allowing a four-pitch walk to Christian Linhardt before getting two outs. Connor Trygstad then singled to drive in the game’s first run.

The Red Knights took a 2-1 lead in the second when Mikey McGill led off with a double and moved to third, one out later, on Chris Racchini’s base hit. Marshall Hoemke followed with a double and Racchini scored on a wild pitch.

Wayzata tied the game in the fifth inning after two were out. Linhardt began the rally by coaxing a walk out of Kaminski after falling behind in the count, 0-2. He then stole second before Nick Olmanson hit a comebacker to the mound that Kaminski threw away at first, allowing Linhardt to score from second to tie the game.

BSM responded with the game-winning rally in the bottom of the fifth as Chris Landis opened the frame with a single up the middle. Sam Lynch then bunted for a hit and Nathan Hanks’ sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. An infield single by Keaton Studsrud plated Landis with the go-ahead run and finished the day for Wayzata starter Brendan Broady.

Thomas Skoro came on in relief and threw a run-scoring wild pitch before walking McGill and then gave up an RBI double to Kaminski. Sam Merriam, pinch-running for McGill, then scored on an errant throw at home when Racchini hit a ground ball to second and he eventually scored on Tyler Wyvell’s base hit.

Kaminski, who completed his eight game of the season, allowed just five hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out five while giving up just one earned run.

Studsrud, Hoemke and Landis each had two hits to lead the Red Knight offense, which collected 11 hits, including doubles by McGill, Kaminski and Hoemke.

BSM then faced the task of defeating Armstrong and got off on the right foot as four consecutive two-out hits led to a run but the Red Knights would leave the bases loaded which was a portent of things to come.

The Falcons scored three runs in each of the first two innings, taking advantage of four BSM errors to take a commanding 6-1 lead.

They extended their lead to 8-1 in the fourth innings when a pair of errors put runners on second and third with no outs and back-to-back sacrifice flies plated two key insurance runs.

Armstrong starter Jack Wibben, who had allowed just one run over the first four innings after getting out of bases-loaded jams in the first and third innings, would not escape the fifth inning.

Nathan Hanks led off with a walk and scored when Studsrud followed with a double to the wall in left center. Two outs and a walk to Racchini later, he scored along with Racchini on Hoemke’s double, which finished Wibben.

Jake Woessner came in from first base to relieve Wibben and, after Hoemke scored when Landis reached on an error, he managed to get out of the inning with the Falcons holding a three-run lead.

Woessner need to get himself out of trouble in the sixth inning when Hanks singled and Studsrud walked with one out but a pop out and a fly out ended the inning.

While the Red Knight offense was working its way back into the game, Wyvell was giving the team a solid effort in long-relief, having gotten out of the second inning and giving up just two unearned runs in the fourth inning. He worked 1-2-3 innings in the third, fifth and sixth innings.

Armstrong brough on Jordan Kuznia to pitch the top of the seventh and, five days after picking up a win over BSM with a six-inning, five-hit effort, the Falcons’ ace worked a 1-2-3 seventh, collecting two strikeouts in the process, to pick up the save and give Armstrong its first state tournament appearance since 2006.

Studsrud’s 3-for-3 effort led the Red Knights’ offense. He was 5-for-6 on the day and reached base safely seven times in eight plate appearances for the game.

BSM outhit Armstrong, 9-7, but six errors and nine runners left on base proved to be the Red Knights’ undoing.

Wyvell’s relief effort saw him work four and one-third innings, allowing a pair of uneared runs on two hits and a walk while striking out two.