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The Buddies experienced both extremes of a walk-off win Saturday afternoon in the First District playoffs, picking up a 3-2 walk-off victory against Northfield before losing 7-6 to Albert Lea in similar fashion.
With one out and the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Winona’s Brandon Beech came through with an infield hit to drive in the winning run against Northfield.
Beech and Jake Filand both went 2-for-3, Logan Hempker 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs and Kyle Kowalewski had a double for the Buddies (18-9).
Kowalewski picked up the win with one shutout inning in relief. Winona’s Jordan Ossefoort started and struck out seven over six innings.
Albert Lea came back from a 6-5 seventh-inning deficit, after the Buddies scored three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh, and advanced to the First District championship on a walk-off Winona throwing error. Had the Buddies held on, they would have needed just one win, and could have taken one loss in the process, to reach the state tournament. As is, the Buddies will play Northfield at 11 a.m. today for another shot at Albert Lea.
Winona’s Arik Jacquart, Steven Tofstad and Filand all went 2-for-4. Filand had a solo home run and Jacquart a two-run double.
“That was a heartbreaker,” Buddies coach Matt O’Brien said. “But we played a tough game and battled all the way through. It made our guys more hungry for (today). We’ll be ready to go.”
