Northeast AAA 49ers Advance to State Tournament

The Northeast AAA 49ers opened the district tournament with a walk-off victory before dropping their final two games of the weekend, moving their overall re- cord to 23-9. They advance to the AAA Senior American Legion Baseball Tournament in Spokane this weekend. Northeast defeated the Kelly Brady Bagpipers, 7-6, on Friday, July 17, before falling 8-3 to the West Plains Cannons on Saturday, July 18, and 10-6 to Kelly Brady on Sunday, July 19.

The 49ers appeared to have Friday’s opener under control after scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to build a 6-2 advantage. Kelly Brady erased that lead with four runs in the top of the seventh inning, but Northeast answered by pushing across the winning run in the bottom half of the inning. Miles Krausz, Patrick McGuire, and Conner Lyng led an eight-hit Northeast attack. Krausz went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while McGuire finished 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Lyng was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run. Cody Adams earned the pitching victory after working six innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking two.

Travis Wellhausen and Kyle Bradfield combined to record the final three outs. Northeast carried its momentum into the opening inning against West Plains on Saturday, scoring twice for a 2-0 lead. The Cannons answered with a run in the bottom of the first inning before breaking the game open with seven runs in the third. The 49ers added a run in the fourth but were held scoreless the rest of the way. Krausz provided the offensive highlight with a home run, finishing 1-for4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Schatz and Bradfield collected Northeast’s other two hits, while Grady Skok drove in a run. Bradfield also reached twice on walks. Defensive miscues proved costly for Northeast, as only one of West Plains’ eight runs was charged as earned. Brayden Payette pitched the first 2⅔ innings before Wellhausen delivered 3⅓ scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and striking out three. The 49ers rebounded early in Sunday’s rematch with Kelly Brady, taking a 3-1 lead after two innings and extending the margin to 4-2 in the fourth.

Kelly Brady scored once in the fifth inning before taking control with four runs in the sixth. Northeast answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the deficit to 7-6, but the Bagpipers added three insurance runs in the seventh inning. Krausz reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks, two runs, and two RBIs.

He also stole three bases. Schatz was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Jet Bateman and McGuire each recorded a hit and scored. McGuire stole three bases and crossed the plate twice. Bradfield pitched five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five. Schatz worked the final two innings. Krausz finished the tournament 5-for10 with four runs, five RBIs, a double, a triple, and a home run. Schatz went 4-for10 with three runs and two RBIs, while McGuire collected three hits, three runs, two RBIs, and four stolen bases. Northeast scored 16 runs on 18 hits during the three tournament games.