The Hastings Hawks opened the Section 1A playoffs with a strong pitching performance and a home victory, then came within one run of defeating a former major league pitcher on the road one day later.
Hastings entered the postseason with a 15-16 official record after closing the regular season with a 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Lakeville Loonatics on July 29. The Hawks hosted the New Ulm Brewers at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Veterans Park, where warm, sunny conditions greeted the teams for the opening round. Hastings earned a 4-1 victory behind eight innings from Kane Sheahan and three hits from Max Krebs.
The win sent the Hawks to Elko for a 2 p.m. game Sunday, Aug. 2. Hastings faced former Major League Baseball pitcher Jake Petricka and stayed within striking distance throughout the afternoon, but the Elko Express held on for a 4-3 victory. The split left Hastings alive in the double-elimination tournament, but without room for another loss.
New Ulm struck first Saturday after loading the bases before Hastings recorded an out.
Colten Schaefer opened the game with a walk against Sheahan. Justin Hoffmann reached on an error, allowing Schaefer to move to second, and Cole Ranweiler followed with a single that loaded the bases.
Sheahan limited the damage. Sam Keckeisen lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Schaefer, but Tate Becker then grounded into a double play to end the inning. New Ulm had three runners reach safely and managed only one run.
Hastings answered immediately.
Jack Seleski opened the bottom of the first with a double. Nolan Drossel followed with a single, putting runners at the corners with nobody out. After Krebs struck out, New Ulm starter Tate Becker lost control of a pitch, allowing Seleski to score and Drossel to advance to second.
Another wild pitch moved Drossel to third. Kelin Rasmussen then singled to bring Drossel home and give Hastings a 2-1 lead.
Becker struck out Max Kaplan, then hit Johnny Teigland with a pitch before retiring Dylan Larson to end the inning. The Hawks left two runners aboard, but they had quickly erased New Ulm’s early advantage.
The one-run lead remained in place for the next five innings.
Sheahan worked around a two-out walk in the second, striking out Ayden Jensen and Lucas Suess before retiring Jace Schaefer on a ground ball. He then delivered a clean third inning, setting down Colten Schaefer, Hoffmann and Ranweiler in order.
Hastings had opportunities to expand its lead but could not finish several early threats.
Sheahan walked to start the bottom of the second, then moved to second when Cade Kimmes dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Seleski was hit by a pitch, and Drossel reached on a fielder’s choice that moved Sheahan to third, but the Hawks did not score.
Kaplan walked with one out in the third, but Becker retired Teigland and Larson. Kimmes walked with one out in the fourth, but Hastings again came away empty.
Sheahan continued to protect the narrow lead. He retired New Ulm in order in the fourth and allowed only one hit in the fifth, a two-out single by Colten Schaefer. Hoffmann struck out to end that inning.
The Hawks mounted another threat in the bottom of the fifth when Krebs led off with a double. Rasmussen walked, and a wild pitch moved Krebs to third before Kaplan grounded out.
Teigland was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, but Becker escaped by striking out Larson and forcing Sheahan into a fielder’s choice.
New Ulm created its best opportunity to tie the game in the sixth. Ranweiler opened with a double, and Keckeisen walked.
The Brewers then lost one runner when Ranweiler was picked off second. Becker reached on a fielder’s choice that forced Keckeisen at second, leaving New Ulm with two outs and a runner at first.
Becker stole second and third while Jensen was batting, then Jensen walked. Sheahan ended the threat by striking out Suess. New Ulm had two runners in scoring position during the inning but did not score.
The Brewers put another runner aboard in the seventh when Jace Schaefer walked with one out. Sheahan retired Colten Schaefer on a ground ball and struck out Hoffmann, maintaining the 2-1 Hastings lead.
The Hawks finally created some breathing room in the bottom of the seventh.
Krebs opened the inning with a single, his second extra-base hit and third hit of the game. Rasmussen flew out, but Kaplan followed with a bunt single that moved Krebs to second.
A throwing error during Teigland’s at-bat allowed Krebs to advance to third. Teigland then grounded out, bringing Krebs home and moving Kaplan to second.
Larson followed with a single that scored Kaplan and extended the Hastings lead to 4-1. Sheahan reached on an error, but New Ulm retired Kimmes to prevent further damage.
Sheahan returned for the eighth and retired the Brewers in order. He induced a groundout from Ranweiler, then got Keckeisen and Becker on fly balls.
Bennett Brathol replaced Sheahan for the ninth. Brathol needed only eight pitches to complete the save, retiring Jensen on a fly ball, Ethan Thompson on a ground ball and Noel Davila on another fly ball.
The final out completed a 4-1 Hastings victory and moved the Hawks’ season record to 16-16.
Sheahan earned the win after allowing one earned run on three hits over eight innings. He struck out eight, walked five and did not allow a hit after Ranweiler’s sixth-inning double. Brathol retired all three batters he faced to earn the save.
Hastings finished with eight hits. Krebs led the offense by going 3-for-5 with a double and one run scored. Seleski doubled, Drossel singled, Rasmussen had a hit and an RBI, Kaplan had a bunt single and Larson drove in a run with his seventh-inning single.
Teigland drove in the other seventh-inning run and was hit by two pitches. The Hawks drew four walks, were hit by three pitches and left 12 runners on base.
Becker took the loss for New Ulm after allowing four runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out seven, walked four and threw three wild pitches. The Brewers were limited to three hits and left seven runners aboard.
Less than 24 hours later, Hastings traveled to Elko knowing it would likely face Petricka. The Hawks did not change their approach against the former major leaguer and remained within one run for nearly the entire game.
Seleski opened the afternoon with a line-drive single to left field. Petricka quickly erased the baserunner when Drossel grounded into a double play, and Krebs flew out to end the first.
Hastings starter Dennis Reinhart kept Elko scoreless in the bottom half. Joe Anderson drew a one-out walk, but Reinhart retired Easton Richter on a foul pop and TJ Evanson on a fly ball.
Elko broke through with four consecutive hits in the second.
Carson Blasing and Chase Hentges opened with singles to left, and Dillon Carlson reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Trevor Rasmusson grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Blasing, although Hastings recorded an out at second.
Kyle Kraska followed with a single to shortstop, scoring Hentges and giving Elko a 2-0 lead. Reinhart prevented a larger inning by retiring Cal Ronay on a line drive and Anderson on a fly ball.
The Hawks responded in the third.
Larson struck out to begin the inning, but Kane Sheahan was hit by a pitch. Kimmes then doubled to center field, moving Sheahan to third.
Seleski singled to left to score Sheahan and move Kimmes to third. Drossel followed with a bunt single that brought Kimmes home and tied the game at 2-2.
Hastings still had two runners aboard with one out, but Petricka escaped when Krebs grounded into a double play. Seleski advanced to third on the play but was left there.
Elko immediately regained the lead. Richter led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run to center field, putting the Express ahead 3-2.
Reinhart retired Evanson on a fly ball and struck out Blasing before Hentges collected his second hit. Carlson then flew out to Seleski in center.
The Hawks threatened again in the fourth. Kaplan reached on an Elko error with one out, and Teigland was hit by a pitch. Larson grounded out, moving both runners into scoring position, but Sheahan grounded out to end the inning.
Gavin Odman took over on the mound for Hastings and held Elko scoreless in the fourth and fifth. Kraska walked in the fourth, but Odman struck out Anderson to end the inning.
Richter singled to begin the fifth and eventually reached third after two fly balls, but Chase Hentges popped out to Krebs at first base to keep Hastings within one run.
Petricka found a rhythm in the middle innings. He retired Hastings in order in the fifth and sixth, setting down six straight batters.
Elko added what became the deciding run in the bottom of the sixth.
Carlson singled and stole second. Rasmusson then singled to center, scoring Carlson and extending Elko’s lead to 4-2.
Rasmusson stole second, but Odman prevented more damage by getting Kraska on a pop fly, striking out Ronay and retiring Richter on a line drive.
Larson singled with one out in the seventh, but Hastings lost the baserunner when he was picked off first. Sheahan then grounded out.
Reece Cox entered for Hastings in the bottom of the seventh after Evanson opened with a single. Cox struck out Blasing and Hentges, then worked around a wild pitch before getting Carlson on a ground ball.
Seleski collected his third hit in the eighth with a one-out single. A passed ball moved him to second, and Drossel’s groundout advanced him to third, but Petricka retired Krebs to end the inning.
Cox delivered a clean bottom of the eighth, retiring Rasmusson and Kraska on ground balls before striking out Ronay. The score remained 4-2 entering the ninth.
Hastings made one final push.
Rasmussen led off with a single back to Petricka. Kaplan reached on an error by second baseman Anderson, and Rasmussen moved to third.
Evan Khrin batted for Teigland and lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Rasmussen and cutting the deficit to 4-3. The Hawks still had a runner aboard with one out, but Larson grounded into Elko’s third double play of the game to end the afternoon.
Elko held on for the 4-3 victory.
Petricka went all nine innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.
Odman took the loss after allowing one run on four hits over three innings. He struck out two and walked two. Reinhart allowed three runs on six hits through the first three innings, striking out one and walking one.
Cox pitched the final two innings without allowing a run. He gave up one hit, struck out three and did not issue a walk.
Seleski led Hastings by going 3-for-4 and driving in a run. Drossel had a hit and an RBI, Kimmes doubled and scored, Larson singled, and Rasmussen singled and scored in the ninth. Khrin drove in the final run with his sacrifice fly.
Hastings played error-free defense, while Elko committed two errors. The Express collected 10 hits and turned three double plays. The loss moved the Hawks’ season record to 16-17.
Hastings will return to action at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, against the winner of the Aug. 8 game between Dundas and New Ulm. If Dundas wins, the Hawks will travel to Dundas. If New Ulm wins, the Brewers will travel to Veterans Park for a rematch. Hastings must win to keep its Section 1A playoff run alive.