Cubs topple A's in opening game of amateur baseball postseason tilt

The Worthington Cubs will go for a sweep of their best-of-three amateur baseball series with Pipestone on Friday night.

The Cubs took a 1-0 edge in the series with a 7-1 home victory on Wednesday night. Game two is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday in Pipestone, while a third game — if necessary — will be at 2 p.m. Sunday.

On Wednesday, Worthington edged ahead 1-0 in the first when Ethan Duffy walked, stole both second and third and came home on a wild pitch. The Cubs added two more runs in the third and one in the fifth, then answered a Pipestone run in the top of sixth by scoring three in the bottom of the inning.

Tyler Linder had a pair of hits and drove in three runs in the triumph, and Ethan Meyer added two more hits. Tucker Brandner pitched the first six innings for the Cubs, allowing just one unearned run over six innings while surrendering just two hits and striking out eight. McKinley Bush tossed the final three innings; he allowed just one baserunner and struck out three A's hitters. 

In other amateur baseball action Wednesday evening, Jackson topped Heron Lake 5-1 and Fox Lake edged Lakefield 4-3. The Bulls will play at the Lakers on Saturday in the second game of that series, while the Frogs entertain Fox Lake on Friday night in game two of those teams' postseason matchup.

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The Worthington senior American Legion baseball team wound up playing against New Prague instead of Northfield on Thursday morning, and it likely would have rather faced just about anyone else.

New Prague wound up routing Post 5 in five innings by a score of 20-1 at the substate tournament in Mankato to conclude Worthington's season. The team finished the summer with a record of 5-9.

Post 5 actually grabbed a 1-0 edge in the first inning when Wyatt Petersen doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Gavin Bell. It was all New Prague from there, though.

Logan Kerkaert started the game on the mound for Worthington, and Petersen, Wilson Mahlberg and Kaden Khamphanh pitched as well. Khamphanh and Kerkaert also had the squad's other hits Thursday.