The Pender Post 55 Junior Legion baseball team began the Class C State Tournament in Hartington with a come-from-behind 8-7 win over St. Paul on Saturday in a game aired on 107.9 The Bull.
St. Paul scored one run each in the first and fourth innings and led 2-0 heading into the fifth.
Pender erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fifth, taking a 6-2 lead.
St. Paul answered by scoring four runs in the top of the sixth, tying the game at 6-6.
Pender responded by scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth, regaining the lead at 8-6.
St. Paul threatened in the top of the seventh inning, but only scored one run before the game ended, and Pender held on to win 8-7, securing the comeback.
Ryan Linkous started the game on the mound for Pender, going 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with four strike outs. Trevor Trimble pitched the rest of the game, allowing three runs on five hits and one strike outs.
Pender recorded nine hits in the game. Alex Roth hit two singles and had two RBIs. Ryan Linkous had a pair of singles and an RBI. Lakota Russman hit a two-RBI double. Braylon Wegner, Jake Schuster each recorded RBI singles. Trevor Trimble and Zander Welsh each had a base hit.
Pender advances to play Loomis on Sunday night at 7:00.
