Frazee to open sub section tournament on Tuesday

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The Frazee Hornets wrapped up their regular season last week with a split doubleheader and non-conference game against the Menahga Braves. The Hornets fell to Otter Tail Central by a score of 14-13 in a wild finish, before rebounding with a commanding 10-1 win over Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal later Monday night.

On Thursday night the Hornets picked up their 10th win of the season when they defeated the Menahga Braves by a score of 13-2. 

This week the Hornets, who are 10-10 overall and 6-6 in the Heart O’ Lakes Conference, will open the Section 8AA tournament. Frazee received the fifth seed in the tournament and will take on fourth seeded Barnesville on Tuesday on the road. The winner of the game will take on either top seeded Perham or eighth seeded Pelican Rapids on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Perham. The sub section championship game will be held on Thursday at 5 p.m. in Perham.

On the other side of the sub section, second seeded Otter Tail Central will take on seventh seeded Fergus Falls and third seeded Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton will take on sixth seeded Hawley. 

Monday

Frazee and Otter Tail Central combined for 27 runs and 20 hits in a wild 14-13 game on Monday night. While the Hornets took a commanding 9-2 lead after the second inning, the Bulldogs were able to get back into the game thanks to a 7-run top of the fifth inning, as well as a pair of 2-run innings in the seventh and eighth innings.

Frazee’s big inning came in the bottom of the second when Logan Brekke scored on an error and Gage Post scored on a fielder’s choice to make the score 4-2. Kale Ovsak followed with an RBI single, before Mark Jaroszewski and Asher Blaine followed with RBI single’s of their own. The final run of the inning came when Brekke scored on a wild pitch to make the game 9-2 in favor of the Hornets. 

The Hornets added 2 more runs in the fourth inning and another in the fifth inning to take a 12-10 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning. After OTC tied the game in the top of the seventh inning on a dropped third strike with two outs that let the tying run to cross the plate, the game went into extra innings. 

OTC scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning on an error with two outs that allowed 2 runs to score and put the Hornets in a 14-12 hole as they came up to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

The Hornets went on a rally with two outs as Gage Post reached on a single, before being hit home on an RBI double by Drew Mekalson. Unfortunately, he would be stranded at second base as the Hornets fell by a score of 14-13. 

Asher Blaine led the way offensively with 3 hits and a pair of RBIs, while Ovsak and Jaroszewski each picked up a pair of hits. 

Mekalson took the loss on the mound as he went 3 1/3 innings and gave up 4 unearned runs and struck out 6 hitters. 

In their second game of the night, the Hornets made quick work of Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal by a score of 10-1. 

The Hornets got things going in the bottom of the first inning when Jaroszewski hit an RBI single and Blaine connected with a 2-run double to put Frazee in front 3-0. 

Frazee added 5 more runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a Caden Frank RBI single, 2-run double by Jaroszewski, an RBI single by Blaine and a bases loaded walk by Mekalson to make the score 8-0. 

The Hornets added single runs in both the third and fourth innings to come away with the 10-1 win. 

Jaroszewski and Blaine each came away with a pair of hits in the win, with Jaroszewski picking up 4 RBIs. 

Post picked up the win on the mound as he went 5 innings and gave up just 4 hits and 1 earned run. He also struck out 6 hitters. 

Frazee vs. OTC

AB R H     BI

Kale Ovsak 5 1 2 1

Caden Frank 4 0 1 1

Zach Longfors 5 1 1 1

Mark Jaroszewski 4 2 2 2

Derek Zitzow 2 0 0 0

Asher Blaine 4 1 3 2

Gage Post 4 2 1 1

Drew Mekalson 4 0 1 1

Tyler Moe 2 2 0 1

Cael Pausch 0 1 0 0

HITTING- 2B- Drew Mekalson, Kale Ovsak, Mark Jaroszewski

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Derek Zitzow 3.0-2-3-3-6-6, Zach Longfors 1.2-3-6-6-2-2, Asher Blaine 0.0-2-1-1-2-0, Drew Mekalson 3.1-2-4-0-2-6

Frazee vs. Norman County East

AB R H     BI

Kale Ovsak 3 1 1 0

Caden Frank 2 2 1 1

Zach Longfors 1 2 0 0

Mark Jaroszewski 4 1 2 4

Derek Zitzow 2 1 0 0

Asher Blaine 3 1 2 3

Logan Brekke 1 1 1 0

Gage Post 1 0 0 0

Drew Mekalson 2 1 1 2

Tyler Moe 0 0 0 0

HITTING- 2B- Caden Frank, Asher Blaine, Drew Mekalson, Mark Jaroszewski

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Gage Post 5.0-4-1-1-3-6