Anderson's grand slam lifts Rochester to 12-8 victory

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- It's a scenario anyone who's ever picked up a baseball bat has ever dreamed of.

Coming to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and then delivering a grand slam with two strikes to give your team the win.

For Rochester's Lee Anderson, that dream became reality as he delivered a grand slam in the top of the ninth on a 2-2 pitch from Omaha Gross pitcher Steve Winkelmann as the A's eliminated Omaha Gross 12-8 Sunday in a semifinal game at Johnson Park.

After the game, Anderson said the feeling of hitting the home run still hadn't sunk in.

"I still can't believe it. It's unbelievable," Anderson said. "It's pretty nerve-wracking. It's a shock. We've accomplished a lot this year. It's still a shock from the first state championship."

Omaha Gross ended its season at 50-10.

"Rochester's an excellent team and very indicative on how a state champion is," Omaha Gross coach Mike Filipowicz said. "They're going to put up a fight and our kids, they're just going to fight you tooth and nail. They're just going to battle and battle and they just kept playing hard."

Rochester had an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the eighth, but with two outs and a runner on third, Rochester pitcher Mike Badger dropped a pop fly right in front of the mound, allowing A.J. Steele to score.

Then, in the top of the ninth, Nathan Bower walked. After the next two batters were retired, Dan Lyons was intentionally walked and Ted Garry walked to load the bases for Anderson.

"We made a mistake there in the ninth when the kid hit a high curveball, but that's the way baseball is," Filipowicz said.

Rochester scored a run in the first, and Lyons gave Rochester a 3-0 lead in the second with a two-run home run to left. The blast was a little bit of redemption for Lyons, who just missed hitting a home run in the first inning with a long foul ball that landed in the parking lot outside of Johnson Park

"I got pretty much what I did before, and I just concentrated a little more and I swung over it a little more and it felt good coming off the bat," Lyons said.

Lyons, who went 3-for-4 with five runs scored and two RBIs, admitted his team was a little drained on a day with temperatures soaring above 90 degrees.

"I think we were all a little tired, especially in the middle of the game," Lyons said. "There wasn't really that much emotion. But once the lead shifted a couple of times, I think we got more fired up."

Omaha Gross scored four runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead before Rochester retook the lead in the top of the third.

After scoring another run in the fourth, Omaha Gross scored three more times to take a 7-6 lead.

Steele led Omaha Gross, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Winkelmann took the loss and Mike Badger got the win. Badger pitched five innings in relief of Aaron Craig. Badger struck out five and didn't allow a run or a walk. Craig walked two and allowed eight hits.

Jay Kasner went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and Bower went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.

Rochester (46-4) plays in the championship game tonight at 7 p.m. at Johnson Park.

ROCHESTER 122 100 024 --12 12 5

OMAHA GROSS 040 030 010 -- 8 11 3

Win -- Badger. Loss -- Winkelmann. 2B -- Montgomery, Hercinger. 3B -- D. Lyons. HR. D. Lyons, Anderson.