Dumont drops first round game of 100th MBA State Tournament

By Sam Peterson

Grant County Herald

The Dumont Saints kicked off the first round of the Minnesota Baseball Association Class C State Tournament in Litchfield against the Kimball Express Aug. 18. The Saints actually held a two-run lead for five innings of the game and only trailed for two innings, but Kimball came through with four runs in the final four innings to steal the game 4-2 and put an end to Dumont’s season. 

It was a great start to the game for the Saints with Dumont shutting down Kimball in the top of the first. In the bottom of the first frame, Jordan Roos led the game off with a single for Dumont, he came around to score off a Matthew Thielen double. Theilen then made it 2-0 when he scored off another double from Isaiah Sykora to make it 2-0.

The score remained locked at 2-0 for the first five innings. On the mound, Roos was able to get out of a number of jams to leave Kimball runners on base.

Kimball was threatening again in the top of the sixth, and Roos had run out of magic tricks to escape the inning. The Express added two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 2-2.

Two innings later, Kimball moved in front for the first time in the contest.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Dumont still trailed 4-2. Sykora and Brody Nachbor both reached base safely thanks to Kimball errors to put runners on first and second with nobody out. 

Marshall Tolifson then stepped into the batter’s box representing the winning run and hit a soft line drive to left field. The left fielder was playing in and easily secured the catch. Sykora found himself stuck between second and third and was doubled off in a huge play for the Express. 

Jacob Volker was the last chance for the Saints, but he went down on strikes to end the game and season for Dumont with a 4-2 loss.

After the first inning, Dumont really struggled at the plate. The Saints were outhit by the Express 9-4 over the course of the game. Thielen finished the game with half of Dumont’s hits, going 2 for 3 with a double, a run and an RBI. Roos went 1 for 4 with a run and Sykora was 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI. 

Roos got the start on the pitching rubber and allowed two earned runs off nine hits and struck out 10. Mason Lampe came into the game in the ninth and only faced three batters, allowing no runs off no hits.