Essig wins trip to State

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

ESSIG -- For the past 12 seasons, Essig's Terry Helget has seen his Bluejay baseball team fall in Region 2C play. And in that same time span, Helget has been drafted by teams that have beaten his Jays enroute to a state tournament trip.

But Sunday afternoon -- on a fluke play -- the Essig Bluejays and Helget won their first-ever trip to the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament.

John Beckius scored from second in the bottom of the 12th inning on a wild pitch and ensuing error to lift Essig to a 5-4 win over Stark.

The win puts Essig into their first-ever state tournament appearance on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 1:30 p.m. in Northfield. They face Elrosa. The 2C champion New Ulm Brewers face New London-Spicer at 11 a.m. Saturday in Northfield.

Beckius, a draftee from Hanska, had led off the home half of the 12th with a double to left.

Stark then chose to intentionally walk Ryan Weier. But on Longhorn reliever Brad Mathiowetz's third pitch to Weier, he tossed a wild pitch. Beckius broke for third and when catcher Cody Walter's throw went into left field, Beckius scored the winning run.

"This feels unbelievably good," said an emotional Helget after the win. "I figured out that I have been drafted 12 times and have gone to state 11 times with other teams. But never with my own team. I didn't think that it was ever going to happen and after yesterday (an 8-2 loss to the New Ulm Brewers) I thought that it was over. But after Lamberton came through (with a win over Stark) and got a big win that gave us new life, I thought today might be the day for it."

Dusty Fleck was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Dayton Larson, a draftee from Hanska who was married on Saturday.

Mathiowetz took the loss for Stark in relief of starter Cole Deibele.

John Giefer had two hits for Essig with Dusty Fleck and Larry Haala both collecting two hits.

Cod Walter, Dab Schmid, Darrin Haala and Brad Mathiowetz each had two hits with Mathiowetz driving in two runs.

Both teams would score twice in the first with the Longhorns scoring on a two-run single by Brad Mathiowetz.

Essig came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a Terry Helget groundout and a John Giefer double.

The Longhorns would move ahead 3-2 in the top of the third when Dan Schmid doubles and trotted home on Darrin Haala base hit.

But Essig came back again to tie the game in the eighth when Giefer walked and took second on a Mitch Stueber sacrifice bunt. A Larry Haala double to right placed Giefer at third and a four-pitch walk to Beckius loaded the bases.

Ryan Weier's sacrifice fly plated Giefer with the tying run.

Stark and Essig would each tally a run in the 11th with the Longhorns scoring on an error and Essig knotting the game on Giefer's second double of the game.

"Thus was an incredibly good game between two good teams,"said Essug manager Doug Radloff. "For me, this has been 20 years in the making. So it is a proud moment for me and Essig -- our first state tournament trip."

STARK 201-000-000-010=4-10-3

ESSIG 200-000-010-011+5-10-3