BELLE PLAINE – A state trip was long overdue for a quartet of Madison Mallards.

The team’s last appearance in the Class C state tournament was in 2012. Twelve years later, Matt Monson, Avan Kells, Darby Bjorgan and Matt Enger made it back when Madison faced the Le Sueur Braves in the opening round of the state tournament.

“We learned from last time and the older guys could teach the younger guys a few things,” said Monson, the team’s manager and first baseman. “We were a lot younger then.”

Joe Brown/West Central Tribune

The trip home was a short one for the Mallards, who suffered a 10-4 loss at Tiger Park on Sunday. But the veterans didn’t let their heads hang after ending the team’s slump at the state level. “This is my 20th year with the Mallards,” third baseman Avan Kells said. “It’s just a lot of fun. We have a lot of young guys and a few older guys. It’s just fun.”

“I can’t believe they still let me play,” Kells added. “I appreciate that.”

Joe Brown/West Central Tribune

The Braves will play at the state level for the first time since 2004 and will face the Bird Island Bullfrogs in the next round on Sunday, August 25th at 4:00 p.m. in Green Isle.

Le Sueur built a 3-0 lead after Madison committed four errors in the first three innings.

“I think the first five errors, four of them, were errors you don’t normally see,” Monson said. “It’s a lot of stuff that doesn’t normally happen. I don’t know if it was nerves or just trying to do too much in an important game. It’s unfortunate that those errors happened, but that’s baseball.”

After a sloppy start, the Mallards stormed back in the fourth. Brandon Hill scored on a wild pitch. Then Kells hit a two-run single that tied the game at 3-3, taking out Braves starter Logan Feeney.

“We’re just trying to get the ball in play and hit it flat out,” said Kells, who scored two of three goals. “Sometimes it works. The bench is motivated and overall it’s going well.”

When relief pitcher Ethan Hoffman came in, Le Sueur was able to keep Madison under control for the rest of the game, picking up the win after recording four strikeouts and allowing one run on one hit and one walk in 3 1/3 innings as a relief pitcher.

“He threw a little harder and hid the ball a lot better than the left-hander (Feeney),” Kells said of the game against Hofman. “You don’t see that in our league.”

The Braves beat the Mallards 14-5. The offense was led by Cole Pengilly, who finished 4-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, two stolen bases, three runs and an RBI. Pengilly played independent professional baseball for the Sioux Falls Canaries from 2021-23 and is a Division III assistant coach at Gustavus Adolphus College, his alma mater.

Joe Brown/West Central Tribune

Despite their short stay in the state, Madison hopes it won’t be another decade before they play on that stage again.

“It’s not the outcome we wanted, but baseball is still fun,” Monson said. “Now we can put the bats down and get ready to cheer on the Vikings in football.”

Joshua Koskie of the Loretto Larks scored the game-winning run on a walk-off hit-by-pitch in the 10th inning of a Class C opener against the Atwater Chuckers at the Mini Met in Jordan.

The Larks will play against the Sauk Centre Titans on Saturday, August 24th at 4 p.m. in Belle Plaine.

Atwater trailed 1-0 after Caleb Koskie hit a solo home run in the second inning. The Chuckers tied it in the fourth inning when David Kingery hit a two-out single that scored Jeff Peterson.

Isaac Schmitt, a draftee from the Milroy Yankees, secured Loretto’s lineup. In eight innings, Schmitt held Loretto to one run on two hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

Kobe Holtz was 2-for-4 for the Chuckers. Carson McCain and Peterson also had hits in the loss.

The Bemidji Blue Ox held off a comeback from the Litchfield Blues and advanced to the Class C state tournament at Green Isle.

Cody Rutledge finished the game for Bemidji with 2-for-4, two runs and a stolen base. Isaiah Biehn earned the win after throwing five innings. Ethan Opsahl, a draftee from the Ada Athletics, contributed to the win by throwing scoreless innings as a relief pitcher.

Rya Quast, the number nine in Litchfield’s lineup, finished the game with 2 for 3 and an RBI. Avery Liestman struck out seven players and allowed five hits and a walk.

The Blue Ox will face the New York Mills Millers, the Region 14C champions, on Sunday, August 25 at 1:30 p.m. in Belle Plaine.