The Windom Pirates rallied in the ninth inning to secure a 3‑2 walk‑off victory over the Clearwater River Cats in the Class C Amateur Baseball State Tournament, advancing to the round of 16.
Early in the game the Pirates struck first, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning after Chase McDaniel doubled and Drew Rothenberger followed with a one‑out double.
Collin Lovell, the Pirates’ ace, delivered a solid six‑inning start, surrendering four hits and four walks while striking out eight batters.
Clearwater answered in the fifth, loading the bases with a pair of walks and a single to knot the score at 2‑2.
A broken‑bat foul ball caused a brief delay in the bottom of the ninth, but the Pirates kept the pressure, with Keenan Wenzel delivering a line‑drive single.
The Game‑Winning Play
Drew Rothenberger worked a six‑pitch walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Alex Fink’s perfect suicide squeeze bunt that brought home Jake Tauer with the winning run.
The Pirates finished with 12 hits, highlighted by Keenan Wenzel’s three‑hit performance, while Chase McDaniel, Alex Fink and Alex Borsgard each contributed two hits.
Looking Ahead
Windom will meet the Litchfield Blues on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Jordan, Minnesota, hoping to carry the momentum from their dramatic win into the next round.