Knights victorious in championship

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

CHASKA -- Charmed.

It was meant to be. It had to be.

The Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Knights are the Class 1A champions. They won the title the same way they won many times this season, including twice earlier in the state tournament -- they did whatever they had to do to win.

St. Mary's blew a 6-1 lead, then rallied from a two-run deficit to outlast the Menahga Braves 9-8 Friday night in the Class 1A championship game at Chaska Athletic Park. The title is the first in the program's history in four state tournament appearances.

The Knights were the Class 1A runners-up in 2001. This year, fate was on their side.

"We do have to put faith in that," St. Mary's coach Bruce Woitas said. "I always say a prayer to myself every game, and I put it up in His hands. Whatever He decides, we have to live with. We try to go in with that attitude in the game. He guides it, and I'm very proud He guided this group and stayed with them, and gave them the opportunity to win."

The Knights (20-8) believed.

St. Mary's got key hits in the sixth to retake the lead. Then the Knights got six clutch outs from reliever Darrin Haala and their defense to preserve the slim lead.

"I've dreamed about it all my life, striking out that last batter for a state title," Haala said. "I remember Jimmy Eckstein doing that two years ago. It's the best feeling in my whole high school career."

Eckstein helped the Sleepy Eye High Indians to the Class 1A title two years ago. Haala's fourth strike out, fanning Menahga's Drew Rasmussen on three pitches, gave the town its second title in three years.

Haala's victory was improbable. Haala (8-0) got his second win of the state tournament a day after going seven innings in the Knights' improbable 7-4 win over Mayer Lutheran in the quarterfinals.

After a shaky start, giving up three runs in relief of starter Brett Braulick, the senior right-hander retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced, including the last eight in a row. When it appeared both teams were out of pitching, Haala proved he had a little bit more to give to the cause.

"Darrin thought earlier that he could give me two or three innings," Woitas said. "He struggled to get out of that inning, but he got out of it. Our kids battled back, got the lead and I tell you what, Darrin pitched well from there on out."

Braulick, the Knights' No. 3 pitcher, got the start and allowed just one run on three hits through the first three innings. But Menahga (23-2) blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning, erasing the Knights' 6-1 advantage.

The Braves chased Braulick after the first four batters reached. They sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs to take an 8-6 lead.

"I was really nervous before the game," Braulick said. "But my defense made great plays and I got a little confidence before I got into trouble. It was a good time to pull me. It's one of those things where I won't recover unless you pull me and I have time to think about it."

Added Woitas: "He got three innings pretty good there. In that fourth inning, he started to bunch some walks. He's got to learn to control his composure a little bit. He gets himself so worked up, so beat up inside, because he wants to do such a good job, and he's capable of doing that."

Braulick, though, did his job, allowing five runs -- three earned -- on four hits. He gave the Knights three solid innings, which helped the game from turning into an eerie sequel to last year's championship game where St. Mary's early lead evaporated in St. Paul St. Agnes' 16-6 win.

The Knights also got a lot of production from their offense. St. Mary's pounded out 15 hits, 14 off Braves starter Corey Pudas (7-1) before he left with two out in the sixth inning.

Three Knights had three hits each -- Andy Cook, Haala and Dusty Mangen. Matt Mathiowetz and Randy Braun each had two hits.

Maybe that was fate, too.

"We felt we had a good hitting practice today," Woitas said. "We actually had our bats blessed today, so that was kind of something we did a little bit different. Maybe that had some power in it, too."

St. Mary's plated three runs in the first inning. Two of the runs scored in bizarre fashion. Cook, who reached on a double to right field, scored on a balk when Pudas stumbled off the mound during his delivery. Haala later scored all the way from second base, just before Mangen was retired 2-3-6-4-6 during a rundown for the third out.

St. Mary's upped the lead to 5-0 with a two-RBI double from Mathiowetz in the top of the second inning. Haala singled in Mathiowetz for the Knights' sixth run in the fourth inning.

The lead seemed daunting. But Menahga quickly jumped on Braulick in the fourth, erased the advantage and, after taking an 8-6 lead, appeared to have taken control of the game.

A pair of hits with two out in the top of the sixth and the Knights retook the lead. Mangen doubled to left field near the line, scoring courtesy runner Matt Gangelhoff and Armbruster, who had each singled, to level the score at 8. One batter later, Braun drove in Mangen for the game-winning run with a double to deep right field.

"Coach Woitas set the tone right away, the first day of (the season)," Haala said. "His confidence reflects on his players. He was always calm and relaxed. He made us believe we could do it."

ST. MARY'S 320 103 0--9 15 3

MENAHGA 010 700 0--8 7 1

Braulick, Haala (4) and Cook. Co.Pudas, Marjamaa (6) and Baso. W--Haala 8-0. L--Co.Pudas 7-1. 2B--SMS, Mathiowetz 2, Cook, Mangen, Braun; Menahga, Etter. 3B--None. HR--None. T--2:14.

Braulick pitched to four batters in the fourth inning