Prep baseball: Esko overpowers Mora in Section 7AA final to clinch state trip

Jun. 8—DULUTH — A seven-run, first-inning blitz left the outcome of Thursday's Section 7AA title game never really in doubt for top-seeded Esko.

The No. 2-ranked team in Class AA poured in nine more runs over the five-inning contest, en route to capturing its first section title since 2000 with a 16-6 win over No. 6 seed Mora at Wade Stadium.

After entering the season with sky-high aspirations, senior captain A.J. Kazel said he felt relieved after the big win.

"It's just a weight off our shoulders," he said. "We've been dying to get this far for the past three seasons and we've fallen short. So I'm just so glad that we finally got to it and I'm just very grateful."

Seventeen-year head coach Ben Haugen couldn't help but reminisce about the players and coaches of years past as he celebrated the state-clinching victory.

"It feels really good," he said. "I just kind of think about all of the great teams over the last 17 years and being involved with these guys through Little League and reflecting on everybody that's coached with me and stuff like that. It's just super, super special."

Haugen pointed to the way the sophomores, juniors and seniors have meshed as key to their seasonlong success.

"We've got three great classes in the '25s, the '24s and the '23s kind of coming together," Haugen said. "We had a great pitching staff and a great offense. We've had some teams in the past that maybe had one or the other. And the section the way it kind of played out, it kind of opened up for us."

The road to victory started out rocky for the Eskomos as junior Finn Furcht battled through a tough start to his five inning outing after loading the bases with a walk, a ground-rule double and an infield single with no outs in the top of the first.

Mustangs' starting pitcher Owen Lind grounded into a double play on the ensuing at-bat, but drove in the game's first run in the process to give Mora a 1-0 lead after a half inning.

The Eskomos' response at the plate came swiftly in the bottom of the first, highlighted by line-drive extra-base hits from Cale Haugen and Isaak Sertich to push three runs across. Starting pitcher Lind was pulled in favor of Carter Gmahl after Bryce Hipp and Dylan Marciulionis drove in the team's fourth and fifth runs with a pair of RBI singles.

"We kind of said like in games like this when pitchers are up there and they're nervous, and fielders are nervous, that our offense just needs to put numbers up and kind of put the team on their back. And they did that right away in the first inning," Haugen said.

Gmahl lasted just four batters in relief before meeting the same fate following a bases-loaded walk to Connor Pearce made it 6-1. Cole Gmahl ended the marathon inning on the hill for Mora, but not before Sam Haugen added a seventh run on a sacrifice fly to shallow right field.

Over the next three innings, an offensive lull for the Esko allowed Mora to climb to within three of tying the score at 8-5. Feeling the heat, the bats came alive again in the bottom of the fourth with RBI base hits by Pearce and Ty Christensen to make it 10-5.

After a bases-loaded walk to Cale Haugen tacked on an 11th run, Mora made its third pitching change with Owen Szoka taking over. The rally continued with three additional runs scored as the Eskomos ended the fourth inning in complete control in a 14-5 ballgame.

The monster six-inning rally in the fourth was something that Haugen has seen his team do time and time again this season.

"When we needed to get another big one, they did, and that's what we've done pretty much all yearlong," Ben Haugen said. "So that's what makes this group special is we have arms that can win a close game and we have bats that can win in a slugfest, and our bats came to play today."

The 10-run rule went into effect in the bottom of the fifth inning after a bases-loaded walk to Christensen and an RBI single by Cale Haugen added the team's 15th and 16th runs as the celebration ensued for the Eskomos.

Senior captain Christensen, who has been a part of two state tournament football teams for Esko as a starting quarterback, said he can't wait to experience the state baseball tournament beginning next week at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud.

"I'm really excited. We've been to state a couple times for football and I'm so, so excited to see what it's like for baseball, because it sounds like a great time," he said.