Baseball state tournament: Class 1A quarterfinals

After his team fell behind by three runs in the second inning Thursday, Heritage Christian coach Jon Ledeboer had a reminder for his team.

"I told our guys we've been here before," Ledeboer said. "In the section, we were in a worse situation [trailing 4-0 in the fifth inning of a losers' bracket game] and rallied to win."

The Eagles, making their first appearance in the baseball state tournament, scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally for a 4-3 victory over Sacred Heart in the Class 1A quarterfinals Thursday at Chaska Athletic Park.

The Eagles (21-3), the top seed, started their comeback with a run in the bottom of the second. A run in the fifth pulled them within 3-2.

In the seventh, they loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, a single and a bunt single. After a flyout, No. 8 hitter Wyatt Juelich-Lysne blooped a two-run single over second base.

Eagles reliever Seth Halvorsen, who started at shortstop, earned the victory with two innings of scoreless relief. Halvorsen struck out five and didn't allow a hit. Taylor Brodersen allowed two earned runs and two hits in five innings.

Noah Chine hit a two-run homer in the top of the second to give Sacred Heart (15-6) a 3-0 lead. Sacred Heart starter Brenden Bethke allowed no hits and no earned runs and struck out 12 in 4 ⅔ innings.

Wabasso (14-5) led 6-0 after five innings before the Panthers (19-9) sent 10 hitters to the plate in the sixth. Trailing 6-4, Matt Ferley, the winning pitcher, drove in two runs with a triple. Moments later, Ferley broke the 6-6 tie by stealing home.

Jacob Plaetz was 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Rabbits, who outhit the Panthers 15-9.

Sleepy Eye 6, Hinckley-Finlayson 0: Avery Stevens pitched a no-hitter and drove in two runs to lead Sleepy Eye. Stevens (9-1), a senior righthander, walked one and struck out 15.

Sleepy Eye (17-5), the No. 2 seed, scored all of its runs in the fourth inning. Stevens had a two-run single, and Nathan Walter had a two-run double.

South Ridge 5, Rushford-Peterson 1: Nick Carlson scattered four hits and allowed no earned runs to lead South Ridge, making its first state tournament appearance, past Rushford-Peterson.