Coon Rapids Legion Baseball

Brandon Flippen scattered six hits and Sammy Smith delivered a two-run, tie-breaking single to right in the top of the sixth inning in a 5-2 Post 334 win over the Grand Rapids Legion team Saturday night at Hargis Field on the campus of Bethel University.

The win was Post 334′s first of the Gopher Classic tournament after back-to-back first-day losses July 9. And it was the result of a cooperative effort from Flippen’s stellar pitching — in his first start of the summer season — to Smith’s two-out, sixth-inning hit to solid defense. The game, in fact, ended when shortstop Tony Remund fielded a sharp ground ball up the middle, stepped on second for one out and relayed to first for another out. It was Post 334′s first double play in more than two weeks.

Flippen was locked in with Grand Rapids’ right-hander Mike Olson in an old-fashion pitchers’ dual through four innings. Grand Rapids, however, broke through with two out in the last of the fifth with consecutive run-scoring singles.

In the top of the sixth, Post 334′s Kyle Waterman started a four-run rally with a lead-off  single to left. After a ground out, Mike Latta collected his third hit of the game — a single after collecting two doubles. A fly out and walk loaded the bases with two and a second walk to Slappy [Josh] Jensen forced home a run. Doug Pouliot, in his first start at first base (a position usually occupied by Flippen), hit a sharp ground ball to the Grand Rapids second baseman that was mishandled. Pouliot subsequently beat the throw to first to allow the tying run to score.

Smith then followed with the two-run single and in the top of the seventh Boo [Jeremy] Oakley ripped a double up the gap to score an insurance run.