The International Falls 11 year old All-Star Baseball Team recently competed in the Little League State Tournament. The tournament was held at Carl Eck Park in Circle Pines.
The Falls got off to a slow start in the tournament falling to Plymouth/New Hope 16-0 in the team’s first game. The Falls got bit by the error bug committing five errors in the contest.
The Falls bats were silenced in the contest coming up with only one hit in the game. Ben Humbert, Cole Miggins, Jackson Vollom and Rylan Hendrickson each saw action on the mound for the Falls.
The Falls woes continued in game two as the team fell to Duluth Lake Park 10-0 in a game that saw only three Falls players get a hit, Humbert, Riley Rasmussen and Ulrich. Jack Mellstrom and Vollom split time on the mound for the Falls in the loss.
The final game of the tournament came against Lake Park and the Falls would not lose twice, coming away with the 8-3 victory and third place in the tournament.
Ulrich got the Falls offense off to a fast start leading the game off with a triple. Mellstrom singled Ulrich home for an early 1-0 lead. Vollom got on with a base hit and was driven home by Humbert who hit a three-run home run to put the Falls out front 4-0.
The Falls continued to pour on the offense in the fifth inning, plating four more runs on a Humbert grand slam to shut the door and give the Falls the victory.
Miggins finished the game 2-for-2 while Kevin Kilbride, Jack Bartkowski, Eric Thydean, Hendrickson and Rasmussen each added singles for the Falls. Humbert and Ulrich each saw duty on the mound for the Falls who finished the season with a third place finish at state.