Minnesota high school baseball state tournament: East Ridge's two sac bunts, stellar pitching lead it to Class 4A title
Minnesota high school baseball state tournament: results, recaps, stat leaders from the semifinals
Brackets
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The No. 2-seed East Ridge Raptors defeated the No. 1-seed Rosemount Irish 1-0 in the Class 4A MSHSL Baseball Tournament championship game on Friday at CHS field.
East Ridge pitcher Max Arlich pitched a complete-game shutout and only allowed two hits while the Raptors' offense broke through with one run in the top of the seventh inning courtesy of two sacrifice bunts. It was East Ridge's second title in school history after winning the title in 2019.
"We made a few big time plays," East Ridge head coach Brian Sprout said. "We needed one big hit, and that's what we got."
Arlich threw 75 pitches in four innings in the quarterfinal against Lakeville South, the maximum amount in order to be available for Friday's final.
He showed no signs of fatigue. Arlich only allowed one runner through five innings, and he had 79 pitches through six innings while Rosemount pitcher Liam Bystol had 80 through six innings.
"I always envision success, and I think this is my best start of the year at the right time," Arlich said.
Bystol and Arlich kept each team off the base paths for much of the game. East Ridge's Aiden Makovicka was the first runner to reach second base in the game when he advanced on a passed ball in the fifth inning.
Makovicka started on the base paths with a bunt, which was experience that proved critical come the seventh inning.
East Ridge broke through in the top of the seventh inning. Joseph Merchlewitz singled to right center field. Griffin Johnson pinch ran for him, and Makovicka stepped to the box knowing he had to execute a sacrifice bunt, and knowing that he could.
"I felt pretty confident in the box being able to see where the corner infielders are to put one down if we need to," Makovicka said.
He laid down the perfect sacrifice down the first base line, and Johnson advanced to second base with one out.
Junior Benjamin Rudser stepped to the plate, and the East Ridge coaches called for another bunt. Rudser was trying to bunt to reach base, but the sacrifice bunt was an acceptable outcome with leadoff hitter Riley Schwellenbach on deck.
"I'm happy I did my job for the team," Rudser said.
Schwellenbach popped up to center field. Rosemount center fielder Chance Swansson sprinted and dove, but the ball fell just beyond his glove, and Johnson scored the only run of the game.
"It's so great to see that all play out, and eventually get [Johnson] in," Makovicka said. "It feels amazing."
Arlich went to the mound to close, and he got three straight outs. He finished with seven innings pitched, allowing two hits while striking out seven batters and walking two.
"If my team gets a run, we're closing this thing out and we're state champions," Arlich said. "That's what I was telling these guys the whole game, 'Just get a run.'"
Photo by Jack Butler
