BASEBALL
Saturday's baseball section playoff roundup: Mounds View turns back Roseville
Mounds View turns back Roseville
CLASS 3A
• SECTION 4: Max Knutson made sure to finish things off on his own.
The Mounds View lefthander struck out two and picked off the third out in the final inning to secure a 4-2 Mustangs victory over Roseville in Saturday night's winners' bracket final at Midway Stadium. Knutson struck out seven and overcame three errors behind him in the complete-game victory.
Roseville tied the score 2-2 in the top of the sixth. But hits by Mounds View's Lars Anderson, Nate Douvier, Austin Smestad and Alec Abercrombie in the bottom of the sixth led to two runs and a 4-2 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Earlier, senior Rob Mouton kept Cretin-Derham Hall's section title hopes alive. Mouton pitched a four-hit shutout as the Raiders eliminated Stillwater 2-0 in the losers' bracket. The Raiders have not appeared in the state tournament since 2007.
JASON GONZALEZ
• SECTION 2: Sheldon Miks of Shakopee is tough to score on, even in extra innings. The junior lefthander threw his fifth shutout of the season in the Sabers' 1-0 victory over Eden Prairie in eight innings at Minnetonka High School in the winners' bracket final. Miks, who entered the game with a 0.18 ERA, gave up only four hits. He struck out three and walked none. Junior Luke Bruss drove in the lone run with a single, bringing home sophomore Tyler Sloss in the top of the eighth inning. Eden Prairie junior Corey Binger was the tough-luck loser. He also only gave up four hits and struck out eight. Shakopee is seeking its first state tournament berth since 1983. … In the losers' bracket, Minnetonka senior Bjorn Hansen went 3-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI as the Skippers eliminated Chaska 9-1. Senior Jared Ridge went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. The Skippers later eliminated Eden Prairie 3-0 as senior Maxwell Langheinrich threw six shutout innings before giving way to senior Bjorn Hansen in the seventh.
• SECTION 6: Edina senior Matt Hopfner, a Northwestern recruit, threw a one-hit shutout as Edina defeated Wayzata 4-0 in the final of the winners' bracket. Seniors Michael Grove and Ryan Searls and junior Stephen Kalina each had two hits and scored a run. The Hornets' last state tournament appearance was in 1983.
STAFF REPORTS
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Minnesota lost a shootout for the 11th time in a row and has not scored on 28 consecutive shootout attempts.