By John RittenhouseThe Adrian Dragons captured their second Section 3A Baseball Tournament title in the last three years Thursday in Windom.The Dragons met Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin in the section finals.Although the Wolverines beat AHS on the way to winning the Red Rock Conference championship, the Dragons had the last laugh when they defeated ML-B-O 7-3 in the section title game.The win ups Adrian’s record to 18-7, and it sends the Dragons to their second state tournament appearance in school history.Adrian will play Section 6A champion New York Mills Eagles (19-4), a 7-5 winner over Menahga in a title game played in Fergus Falls Thursday, in today’s quarterfinal round of the Minnesota State Class A Baseball Tournament in Chaska. Game time is 10 a.m.A win would send AHS into the semifinals, where it would play a 2:45 p.m. game in Chaska. A loss would send the Dragons to Jordan, where they would play a 2:45 p.m. game in the consolation bracket.The Dragons had to overcome a quality opponent in ML-B-O to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2002, when they went 2-1 and placed fifth.The Wolverines beat AHS 6-2 in Butterfield April 6, and they handed the Dragons a 9-4 setback in Adrian April 29.ML-B-O played its way through the loser’s bracket to earn the right to face AHS in Windom Thursday, but the Wolverines were unable to stop Adrian’s 5-0 run through the section tournament.Adrian senior pitcher Tyler Wolf tossed a five-hit complete game to lead the Dragons defensivley, and Cody Kontz, Levi Bullerman, Brandon Wolf and Glen Kruger slapped two hits each to pace the offense during the four-run victory.Both teams plated a pair of runs in the first inning, and the game remained tied until Adrian moved in front to stay with a four-run outburst in the top of the fifth.Bullerman ignited the rally when he slapped his second single of the game before stealing second base. Brandon Wolf snapped the deadlock with a single that plated Bullerman.A single by Kruger followed by a walk to Brandon Diekmann loaded the bases as the inning progressed.Will Lutmer drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Brandon Wolf, Kontz singled home Kruger and Tyler Wolf drew a walk to force home Diekmann and give the Dragons a 6-2 cushion.The Dragons added an insurance run when Brent Tjepkes reached base on an error and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 7-2 game in the top of the seventh.After blanking the Wolverines in the second through sixth innings, Tyler Wolf had to pitch out of a jam to secure the win for AHS in the bottom of the seventh.ML-B-O already plated one run when it loaded the bases with two outs. Wolverine Daniel Snyder came to the plate as the potential tying run, but Wolf induced the ML-B-O outfielder to lift a harmless fly ball to right fielder David Hoffer, who made the catch for the final out of the game.Tyler Wolf fanned six batters and walked six during his complete-game victory, which upped his season record to 8-1.The AHS pitcher also came up with a big appearance at the plate in the top of the first, when he drew a one-out walk to ignite a two-run rally.Bullerman singled and Brandon Wolf walked to load the bases after Tyler Wolf drew his free pass. Kruger delivered a two-run single to give the Dragons an early lead that was erased when ML-B-O scored twice in the bottom of the first.
