Mankato rallies past Dukes
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Mankato scored eight runs in the first three innings on the way to a 12-2 win over Dundas in the winner's bracket final of the Class B State Tournament on Saturday night. The loss snapped the Dukes' seven-game winning streak and was the worst loss of 2008.
Dundas closed to within 8-2 on Todd Mathison's two-run single in the fifth, but the Twins responded with a pair of two-run rallies in the seventh and eighth to earn the run-rule victory. Mankato had 17 hits in the win, while Dundas had seven.
The Dukes, who committed a season-high four errors, will play the winner of Maple Lake and St. Michael tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. with a trip to the championship series on the line. The winner will then have to defeat Mankato twice to win the state crown.
Dundas closed to within 8-2 on Todd Mathison's two-run single in the fifth, but the Twins responded with a pair of two-run rallies in the seventh and eighth to earn the run-rule victory. Mankato had 17 hits in the win, while Dundas had seven.
The Dukes, who committed a season-high four errors, will play the winner of Maple Lake and St. Michael tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. with a trip to the championship series on the line. The winner will then have to defeat Mankato twice to win the state crown.