A late 3-0 lead disappeared for the Algona baseball team, as the Bulldogs were denied a spot in the state tournament by the North Polk Comets, falling 4-3 in the class 3A – substate 2 championship game on Wednesday night.
The 3-0 Bulldog advantage was erased quickly in the bottom of the fifth. After Bulldog starting pitcher Aiden Ulrich took a one-hit shutout through four innings, he ran into trouble immediately in the bottom of the fifth. Charlie Bunkers, who had the only Comet hit of the game up to that point, starting the inning with his second single of the game. Brayden Foster was hit by a pitch to put two on with nobody out, and the runners were moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Jack Spieker. A walk to Drew Owen loaded the bases with one out for Reggie Postel. Postel would fly out to shallow right field, not deep enough to score the runner from third, as Ulrich picked up a big second out. However, the Bulldogs couldn’t get out of the jam, as Isaac Zoske lined a bases clearing double to the gap in right center field to tie the game at three.
Algona did all of their damage during the third inning. After Tate Garman reached on an error to start off the frame, Tate Slagle blasted a double to deep left field, scoring Garman. Slagle’s double was followed by a home run to dead center field by Aiden Ulrich, his fourth of the season, as the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, Algona put the go ahead run on base with a groundball single up the middle by Logan Lentz, but the threat ended quickly as Reid Louwagie struck out, and Mason Ulrich hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
In the bottom of the sixth, Garman would relieve Ulrich on the mound and be greeted by a leadoff double by Hunter Cook. Courtesy runner Jackson Halverson advanced to third base on a ball that deflected off of Slagle’s mitt behind home plate, sliding into third on a close play. Halverson eventually scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Algona got the game tying run aboard to lead off the top of the seventh, as Hunter Cook hit Jaxon Eischen with an 0-2 pitch, but the Bulldogs went down in order after that as Daniel Kemna struck out, Dawson Elsbecker flied out to right, and Garman grounded out to second to end the game.
Outside of the third inning, Algona’s only other big scoring opportunity came in the top of the second. A Lentz walk began the inning. After Louwagie struck out, Mason Ulrich doubled to right center field, putting runners at second and third with only one out, but Cook struck out Eischen and Kemna to extinguish the Bulldog threat.
Cook gave the Comets the length they needed on the mound, with Drew Owen and Reece Wrage both ineligible to pitch due to their pitch counts the previous day against ADM, going the distance. Cook allowed five hits and three runs, two of which were earned, while striking out 11 and walking just one. Ulrich got a no decision, throwing five innings and allowing three runs on three hits, walking three and striking out five.
The game followed nearly the same script as the previous day’s game against ADM for the Comets, who rallied from a 5-0 deficit entering the fifth inning to defeat the Tigers 6-5 in the substate 2 second round. North Polk will head to the state tournament for the second year in a row after finishing as class 3A runner up last season, and 15th time in program history. Algona’s season ends with a 26-8 record.
