Reds knock off #6 Bemidji, enter Holiday break on 3-game Win Streak

Bailey Schmitz singled to right field scoring Will Zimmerman with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday to give the Crookston Reds a walk-off upset win over #6 Bemidji Blue Ox 4-3.  Lars Brevik picked up the win tossing a complete game striking out 11 and the Reds improved to 10-11 on the season.

It was the second consecutive complete game for a Reds pitcher following Blake Karas complete game shutout over the Moorhead Miners on Wednesday night. Crookston enters the holiday break on a three-game win streak, and wins in five of their last eight games outscoring their opponents 54-35 during those eight and 18-5 over the last three. 

While we are still waiting to get a few stats in from the games on 6/17 & 6/21, several Reds are having strong seasons.  The Reds have been led offensively by Dave Grabrowski (.455), Matt Morin (.366) and Bailey Schimitz (.364).  Grabowksi leads the team with 14 RBI, 20 Hits, 4 Doubles, 1 Triple and 1 Homerun.  Morin leads the team with 13 runs scored, 4 doubles and is second with 10 walks and 11 RBI.  Schmitz is tied with Grabowski with 20 hits and came up clutch during this past weeks games driving in 4 runs, 3 vs. Moorhead and the game winner vs. Bemdiji.

Sean Minder and Lars Brevik have led the Reds on the hill combining to go 3-6, with 4 complete games among them. Both players enter the break with more than 30 strikeouts.

The Reds will return from the Holiday break with a heavy stretch run, featuring 14 games in 19 days including five league games.  The Reds will return with a games vs. the Park Rapids ESox at home on July 6 who currently sit in 1st place in the Lake & Pine League followed by a league doubleheader at Dilworth on July 8th.  Mid-week the Reds will host the Ada A's and Moorhead Mudcats (Class B) July 11-12 before heading to Warroad for four games July 14-15, playing the Marble Mallards for one, and then a three-game series with Warroad. League play will wrap up with a home game July 18 vs. Moorhead followed by a road game in Ada on the 19th to wrap up the league regular season.  Three non-league games will conclude the regular season as the Reds will host Warroad for a doubleheader on July 22 before traveling to Thief River Falls on July 25th. 

The first Red River League playoff will be hosted by Ada July 28-29 with the matchups based on regular season finish on the 28th. The league champion will play the fourth place team, two will play three.  The winners will advance the region tournament and play for the league championship on Sunday, July 29 with the winner receiving a first round bye in the Region 10C Tournament.  The two teams that lose Saturday, will play in the 3rd place game on Sunday, with the winner being the final team to advance to regions, while the loser will have their season come to an end.

The Region 10C Tournament will take place in Crookston August 4-12 featuring the top three teams from the Red River League (Ada, Crookston, Dilworth, Moorhead) and the Northwest Border League (Bemidji, Marble, Thief River Falls and Warroad).  The top two teams will advance to the 2018 Minnesota Amateur Baseball State Tournament in New Prague and Shakopee August 17-September 3.