Owatonna Advances to Section Baseball Finals with Come From Behind Win

The Huskies reached the section finals for the second straight year with an 8-7 come from behind win over Lakeville South after losing a lead against Lakeville North in a 4-2 loss.

The Huskies will have to beat Lakeville North twice on Tuesday in Dundas to capture the Section 1AAAA title. Otherwise the Panthers will reach the state tournament for the fourth straight year. Game time is 5PM with the radio coverage on Kat Kountry 105FM.

Owatonna led North 2-0 in Saturday's winners bracket final with a pair of fourth inning runs. They scored on a delayed double steal and an RBI-double by Eli Havelka. Lakeville North answered back in the bottom of the fifth with their four runs. An Owatonna error allowed the inning to continue when North had scored just the first of those runs. OHS stranded seven runners in scoring position. Clay Leidall pitched well but took the loss.

The loss pushed Owatonna into the losers bracket final to battle Lakeville South. The Cougars had defeated Farmington 7-1 to open play at Memorial Park in Dundas on Saturday.

The teams traded runs in the first inning. South scored five in the third inning for a 6-1 lead. The Huskies responded with three of their own to pull within 6-4. South scored one in the fourth, which turned out to be their final run. Owatonna scored three in the sixth to tie the game. Kodey Kiel singled. Alec Holcomb doubled. Sam Hylle drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Brett Solie doubled in a run. Ben Staska double to tie the game at 7-7.

Noah Budach double to lead off the seventh and advanced to third but got stranded. After a 1-2-3 eighth for South Hylle doubled to open the Owatonna eighth and scored on Solie's bunt when the ball was thrown past the first baseman for the walk-off win.

Holcomb pitched the final five innings, allowing just one run and three hits while striking out seven. Over the final four innings he only faced two batters above the limit. Kiel started and Jacob Gauthier pitched as well.