Fergus Falls opened Region 16C Tournament play with a 10-2 win over the Alexandria Black Sox on Sunday at Cowboys Field in Breckenridge. The Canes collected 9 hits in the game took control with an 8-run third inning. Alex Hexum (7IP, 4K, 1BB, 9H, 2ER) improved his record to 4-1 with the victory.
Fergus Falls scored a run in the bottom of the first when Sean McGuire singled and Alex Hensch and Tosten Mann followed with walks to load the bases. McGuire then scored on a ground out off the bat of Darin Stanislawski.
Stanislawski started the third inning with a lead-off single and took second on an outfield error. Darin scored on a Carter Thielke single and after a pop out, three consecutive walks scored another run, McGuire came through with a 2-run doubles and Hensch drove in two more with a double. A 2-run home run by Mann drove in the final runs of the inning and the Canes led 9-0.
In the sixth, Thomas Bosek and Pete Gaustad singled with one out. After a fly out, Owen Krueger drove in Bosek with a base hit.
Alexandria got their two runs in the seventh. A lead-off single by Brett Savelkoul and a one-out double by Waylon Muenezhuber put runners on second and third. A wild pitch scored Savelkoul and a single by Chris Curry brought home Muenezhuber. Muenezhuber (3-4, 2 2B, R) and Alex Jinkins (2-4, 2B) led the Black Sox at the plate.
Fergus Falls was led by McGuire (2-4, 2R, 2B, 2RBI). Seven Canes players had one hit each and every starter scored a run. Stanislawski closed out the game with 2 perfect innings, striking out 4 batters.
“We were able to jump to a big lead and Hexum kept the Black Sox off balance before tiring a little in the seventh,” reported Canes Head Coach Davy Johnson. “D-Stan slammed the door in the 8th and 9th. Once again we played errorless defense behind Hexy and D-Stan.”
In other Region 16C action: On Saturday, Dent forfeited to Kensington, Carlos beat Ashby 5-2, and Urbank beat Breckenridge 12-1. On Sunday, Sauk Centre defeated Kensington 12-1 in 7 innings.
Next Saturday, Ashby plays Breckenridge at 11:00am and Kensington faces Alexandria at 2:00pm in loser out games. In the winners’ bracket, Carlos takes on Urbank at 5:00pm and Fergus Falls faces Sauk Centre at 8:00pm. All games are in Breckenridge.