Hastings Legion Post 47 entered one of the busiest stretches of its summer schedule playing some of its best
baseball, using strong pitching, patient at-bats and timely hitting to earn three victories in five games.
Hastings opened the stretch with a convincing 12-0 victory over the Eagan Senior Legion Patriots on
Wednesday, July 8, then traveled to Eden Prairie for four games in the Gopher Classic Legion Baseball
Tournament. Post 47 finished 2-2 in the tournament, defeating Farmington 8-0 and Lincoln Hotel Group 18U
6-2, while falling to Yankton Post 12 Bucks Legion 7-1 and Eden Prairie Legion 9-0.
The Gopher Classic featured 80 teams and is considered the largest American Legion baseball tournament in
the United States. Hastings played all four of its tournament games at Round Lake Stadium in Eden Prairie,
facing opponents from Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska during a demanding two-day schedule.
Before heading into the tournament, Post 47 put together a complete performance against Eagan. Hastings
scored in each of the first three innings, built an 8-0 advantage and received six hitless innings from pitchers
Charlie Meyers and Anthony Butler.
Gunnar Skov opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, battling through a seven-pitch at-bat before
delivering a single that brought home the first run. Hastings added two more runs in the second when Payton
Perseke singled down the right-field line.
The Post 47 lineup broke the game open with five runs in the third. Cole Werner supplied the biggest swing of
the inning, launching a two-run home run to center field. Perseke drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home
another run, then two more runs scored on a wild pitch.
Hastings finished with eight hits and showed plenty of patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks. Werner, Brady
Hendrickson and Perseke each walked twice. Perseke finished 2-for-2 with three runs batted in, while Skov
also collected two hits. Batting back-to-back in the lineup, Perseke and Skov consistently created trouble for
the Eagan pitching staff.
The run support was more than enough for Meyers and Butler. Meyers started and worked four hitless innings,
striking out one and walking one. Butler followed with two hitless innings of relief, striking out one and
walking two. Together, the two pitchers kept Eagan without a hit or a run.
Eagan starter Will Mitchell allowed eight hits and eight runs, seven earned, over four innings. He struck out
five and walked five. The Patriots turned one double play, but could not slow a Hastings lineup that
consistently put runners on base and took advantage of nearly every scoring opportunity.
Post 47 carried that momentum into Eden Prairie, although the tournament opener against Yankton quickly
became a pitching challenge.
Legion Baseball.docx
Yankton scored twice in the bottom of the third inning and added four runs in the sixth to pull away for a 7-1
victory Friday morning. Kyle Maronick started for Hastings and allowed only two hits over three innings, but
five walks and a pair of unearned runs helped Yankton build an early lead.
Maronick struck out five and walked five. Yankton scored its first two runs after a balk and a bases-loaded
walk, then broke open the game with its four-run sixth inning.
Yankton starting pitcher Kaden Hunhoff controlled the game from the mound, holding Hastings without a hit
over seven innings. He allowed one run, struck out five and did not issue a walk. Colton McKnight drove in
the lone Hastings run.
Easton Feser led Yankton with two runs batted in and finished 2-for-4. Samuel Gokie and Simon Kampshoff
also collected two hits, while Jackson Kudera and Beck Ryken each drew two walks.
Hastings did not have much time to dwell on the loss, returning to the field Friday afternoon against
Farmington Sr Legion Post 189 19U. Post 47 answered with one of its strongest all-around performances of the
tournament, shutting out Farmington 8-0.
The game remained scoreless through the first three innings before Hastings took control in the bottom of the
fourth. McKnight delivered the key hit, driving a double into play that scored three runs. Maronick followed
with a run-scoring single, giving Hastings a 4-0 advantage.
Post 47 continued to add to the lead, finishing with eight runs on seven hits. McKnight led the offense with
three runs batted in and finished 1-for-2. Maronick, batting eighth, demonstrated the depth of the Hastings
lineup by going 2-for-3.
Carter Lundstrom made sure the offensive production held up. Lundstrom worked six shutout innings,
allowing three hits, striking out four and walking two. He kept Farmington from building a sustained threat
and received strong defensive support behind him.
Hastings turned two double plays and did not commit an error. Austin Viall recorded a team-high six defensive
chances. Lucas Oistad, Ben Freier and Grady Lickfelt each collected one hit for Farmington, but Lundstrom
and the Hastings defense kept all three from scoring.
Farmington starter Zach Blomquist allowed seven hits and eight runs, six earned, in five and one-third innings.
He struck out five and walked one.
The victory moved Hastings to 1-1 in the tournament and set up a Saturday morning meeting with Lincoln
Hotel Group 18U.
Lincoln scored first, but Post 47 responded each time before taking control late in a 6-2 victory. Brody Hiatt
doubled home a run in the top of the first inning, giving Lincoln a 1-0 lead. Joey Horton answered for Hastings
in the bottom of the second, singling to right field to tie the game.
Lincoln regained the lead in the third when Hiatt hit a sacrifice fly, but Hastings again responded. Horton
singled down the left-field line in the bottom of the fourth, bringing home the tying run and giving him his
second run batted in of the game.
Post 47 moved in front in the fifth inning. Skov brought home one run on a groundout, then another Hastings
runner scored on a passed ball. Hastings added two more runs before the game ended, giving starting pitcher
Hendrickson plenty of room to finish the job.
Hendrickson went the distance, allowing seven hits and two runs over seven innings. He struck out three and
walked only one. The right-hander was especially effective after Lincoln scored in the third, keeping the
opponent off the scoreboard over the final four innings.

Horton led Hastings with two runs batted in and finished 2-for-3 from the eighth spot in the batting order.
Perseke continued his productive stretch at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Lukas Niederkorn added two hits in
four at-bats. Hastings once again played clean defense, finishing without an error. Maronick recorded a team-high five defensive chances.
Lincoln starter Jaxson Minzel allowed six hits and four runs, three earned, over five innings. He struck out
three and walked two. Hiatt drove in both Lincoln runs, while Kam Foster led the team with two hits. Lincoln
also played error-free defense and turned one double play.
The victory gave Hastings a 2-1 tournament record heading into its final game Saturday evening against host
Eden Prairie. Post 47 collected seven hits and held Eden Prairie to five, but one big inning made the difference in a 9-0 loss. Eden Prairie opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when Myken Anderson hit into a fielder’s
choice, allowing one run to score.
The game turned in the third inning when Eden Prairie scored six runs on four hits. Bennett Wilmer was hit by
a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing home one run. Another run scored on an error, then Sam Nelson
delivered the decisive swing, hitting a grand slam to left field.
Hastings starter Drew Gillespie allowed four hits and seven runs, five earned, over two innings. He struck out
one and walked two. Eden Prairie starter Quinn Cloutier worked five shutout innings. Hastings collected seven hits against him, but could not push a run across. Cloutier struck out seven and walked two.
Niederkorn led Hastings with two hits. Nelson finished 2-for-3 with four runs batted in, all coming on his grand slam. Eden Prairie also turned one double play. Although Hastings finished its Gopher Classic appearance with a loss, Post 47 left Eden Prairie with two tournament victories, two shutouts during the five-game stretch and several encouraging pitching
performances. Meyers and Butler combined to keep Eagan hitless, Lundstrom threw six shutout innings against Farmington and Hendrickson completed all seven innings against Lincoln. Maronick also struck out five in three innings
against Yankton, despite being hurt by walks and unearned runs.
The Hastings defense was sharp throughout the tournament victories. Post 47 did not commit an error against
Farmington or Lincoln and turned two double plays against Farmington. The defense also helped Lundstrom
and Hendrickson work efficiently and avoid extended innings.
At the plate, Perseke collected multiple hits in three of the five games, including a perfect 3-for-3 performance against Lincoln. McKnight drove in three runs against Farmington; Horton drove in two against Lincoln and Werner supplied the biggest home run of the stretch against Eagan.
Skov also played an important role near the top of the lineup, collecting two hits against Eagan and driving in the go-ahead run against Lincoln. Maronick contributed at the plate and in the field, while Niederkorn finished the tournament with multi-hit performances against Lincoln and Eden Prairie.
Hastings finished the five-game stretch with a 3-2 record, scoring 27 runs while allowing 18. Post 47 scored at
least six runs in each of its three victories and held its opponent to two runs or fewer in all three.
The two losses showed the difficulty of tournament baseball, especially when one big inning can quickly change a game. Yankton used a four-run sixth inning to pull away, while Eden Prairie’s six-run third inning accounted for most of the scoring in the tournament finale. Outside of those two innings, Hastings remained competitive and received quality performances throughout the roster. The team showed it could win with offense, as it did against Eagan, or rely on pitching and defense, as it did against Farmington and Lincoln.
Post 47 will return to the road on Wednesday, traveling to Inver Grove Heights for its next game at Simley
High School at 5:00 p.m. They return home to Vets Park on July 16 for a 7:30 p.m. game.