Gaylord upsets St. Peter 7-4 in region semifinals; Saints still alive in elimination bracket

By Pat Beck, St. Peter Herald

In a back-and-forth battle, the No. 3 seeded Gaylord Islanders upset the No. 2 seeded St. Peter Saints 7-4 in the semifinals of the Region 6C amateur baseball tournament Sunday evening at Veterans Field.

With the win, the Islanders (14-9) qualify for the Class C state tournament for the first time since 2001.

St. Peter (19-8) stays alive, however, because the top three teams from Region 6C advance to state Aug. 19 in Hutchinson. The Saints have been to state the last two years.

St. Peter drops into the consolation bracket of the region and needs to win two more games to make state.

The Saints next host No. 8 seeded Belle Plaine in an elimination game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. The winner plays the winner of No. 5 Le Sueur and No. 6 Henderson at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the high seed in the third-place game to earn the third state berth.

Gaylord next faces No. 1 seeded Jordan in the region finals at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Mini Met. 

The Islanders and Saints split two games during the regular season in the River Valley League. Gaylord defeated No. 6 seeded Henderson 9-3 in the first round of the region, while St. Peter defeated No. 7 seeded Fairfax 7-3.

St. Peter jumped to a 1-0 lead over Gaylord in the third inning. Center fielder Sam Wenner led off with a bunt single. Right fielder Ty Kaus singled to center, and designated hitter Jovan Rodriguez singled home Wenner.

Gaylord scored two runs in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. Travis Schmidt walked and scored on a triple by Collin Grams over the center fielder's head, and Grams scored on a wild pitch.

St. Peter answered with three runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Second baseman Jordan Wilmes doubled to the left field corner. Kaus reached on infield hit up the middle. Left fielder Ryan Kapser grounded out to second to drive in Wilmes. Rodriguez singled to center to score Kaus. Rodriguez stole second, and third baseman Shea Roehrkasse drove him home with a single to right.

Gaylord erupted for five runs on seven hits in the sixth to pull ahead 7-4, and that was all the scoring. 

St. Peter starting pitcher Luke Schwarz pitched three scoreless innings, before allowing six runs on nine hits, two walks and three strikeouts and giving way to veteran reliever Jesse Anderson with two outs in the sixth inning.

Anderson threw the last 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on two hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

Gaylord starting pitcher Trevor Vaubel lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing all four runs on five hits, two walks and one strikeout. Britt Vaubel pitched 2/3 of an inning, getting a double play, to pick up the victory. Brad Walsh finished up the last four innings.

St. Peter collected eight hits, led by No. 3 hitter Rodriguez who went 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored. Kaus led off, going 2-for-4 with a walk and one run scored. Roehrkasse (1-4, RBI), Wenner (1-2, run) and Wilmes (1-4) each had a hit.