Albert Lea erases 4-run deficit in 4th, tops Norwood Young America

ST. PETER — Hopes of a state berth stayed alive for the Albert Lea baseball team.

The Tigers flipped a 5-1 deficit into a two-run advantage in the fourth inning to beat Norwood Young America 7-5 Tuesday in the Section 2AA consolation finals at St. Peter.

“We put together some clutch at-bats in the fourth,” said Albert Lea coach Joe Sczublewski. “It was an all-around great inning.”

Tigers pitcher Chris Enderson started and ended the top of the fourth with strikeouts, and he led off the bottom of the inning with a single that opened the floodgates.

After an RBI single by Jake Thompson scored Jake Kilby, Enderson’s courtesy runner, the bases were loaded for Kole Smith with one out.

Smith delivered a bases-clearing double to tie the score, 5-5.

“Those kind of situations are always my favorite,” said Smith. “The pitch was on the outside a little bit, so I just threw my hands into it, and it went to right field.”

Although Norwood Young America relief pitcher Isaac Hormann entered the game after Smith’s hit, Albert Lea scored the go-ahead run on a base hit by Alex Bledsoe and took a 7-5 lead on a two-out RBI single by Mason Hammer.

“Kole’s double really broke the game open,” Sczublewski said.

The Tigers’ defense held the Raiders to one run through the last five innings.

Enderson took the win on the mound. In seven innings, he struck out six batters and allowed seven hits, two earned runs and five walks.

“Once Chris got into a rhythm, he mowed them down,” Sczublewski said.

Tanner Bellrichard and Jake Thompson led Albert Lea with four of the team’s 10 hits.

Albert Lea (14-11, 4-7 Big Nine) was the No. 1 seed in Subsection 2AA South, and Norwood Young America (17-8, 10-4 Minnesota River) was the No. 5 seed in Subsection 2AA North. However, the Raiders’ ranking according to Minnesota-Scores.net’s Quality Results Formula at the start of the playoffs was No. 31, which was higher than any team in the south subsection, except Albert Lea at No. 20.

The Tigers’ win sets up another rematch with Glencoe-Silver Lake (19-4, 10-3 Wright County).

Last year, the Tigers dropped to the consolation bracket with a 5-4 loss against Glencoe-Silver Lake but won the consolation finals against Holy Family Catholic to get another shot at the Panthers in the section championship, a game Albert Lea lost 4-2.

This year, it’s deja vu.

Albert Lea won its first three playoff games before falling to the consolation bracket with a 10-8 loss Saturday against Glencoe-Silver Lake and qualified for the section finals with Tuesday’s win.

“We’re exactly where we were last year, and hopefully we can turn the tables,” Sczublewski said. “They’ve had our number, but I think it’s time for payback.”

Since the tournament is double elimination and Glencoe-Silver Lake beat Albert Lea on Saturday, the Tigers will need to beat the Panthers twice in the section finals to secure a state berth. One win is required for Glencoe-Silver Lake.

The first of two potential games in the Section 2AA championship will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at St. Peter.