Photo by Travis Rosenau Lamberton’s Eli Fest delivers a pitch during Friday night’s Class C Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament game against Paynesville at Walsh Field in Gaylord.

GAYLORD — Despite losing an early lead at Walsh Field, the Lamberton Long Sox were able to tie things up thanks to a wild pitch in the sixth inning of Friday night’s Class C Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament game with the Paynesville Pirates.

Unfortunately for the Long Sox, a wild pitch was what ultimately ended their first state appearance since 2020 as a wild pitch with two outs scored Sam Oehrlein to give the Pirates a 6-5 walk-off win.

After the Pirates turned a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth, the Long Sox made that lead short-lived as they tied it up at 5-5 in the sixth when Hudsen Jenniges was at the plate and Josh Altermatt was at third after a passed ball. With the count 1-2, a wild pitch brought Altermatt home to tie the game.

The game stayed tied until Oehrlein took a two-out walk for the Pirates in the bottom of the ninth and a single by Grady Fuchs moved him to third. A walk to Drew Tangen filled the bases and brought up Gavin Bulthuis, who then watched a wild pitch go by him to score Oehrlein and end the game.

The Long Sox’s season came to an end with the loss, while the Pirates will play in the second round of the state tournament at 11 a.m. Aug. 23 in Brownton against the winner of Saturday’s Glencoe-Morris game.

The Long Sox got things going right away in the first off right-hander Austin VerSteeg, a draftee from the Starbuck Stars. After VerSteeg forced leadoff hitter Eli Fest to ground out, an error followed that allowed Luke Willhite to reach first. Neil Eichten continued the inning with a single before Altermatt took a walk on a 3-2 count to load the bases for Will Carlson, who made VerSteeg pay with a two-run, line-drive single to put the Long Sox up 2-0.

Altermatt, now at third, scored on a sac fly off the bat of Hudsen Jenniges for a 3-0 Lamberton lead before VerSteeg got Seth Guetter swinging to end the top of the first.

The Pirates got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the first off Fest, Lamberton’s starting lefty. After Fest forced Reed Johnson to fly out to center to start the bottom half of the inning, Grayson Fuchs singled and Luke Johnson doubled before a line-drive double by Garrett Leusink made it a 3-2 game.

A solo home run in the second by Jake Wahl over the fence in right field gave the Long Sox a 4-2 lead, but the Pirates stole the run back in the bottom of the second after Grayson Fuchs’ two-out single brought home Rick Hendrickson, who led off with a single.

After a couple of scoreless frames and both starting pitchers settling in, the Pirates tied it and took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth. The Pirates tied it when Leusink, who walked to lead off, scored on an error. A bases-loaded walk to Griffin Bjerke scored Oehrlein gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead.

Fest’s day on the mound came to end in the fifth after 4 2/3 innings when Quintyn Vold entered in relief. Fest finished the night throwing 123 pitches, 71 for strikes, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out eight.

The Long Sox tied it up at 5-all in the sixth on the wild pitch that scored Altermatt. VerSteeg pitched a scoreless seventh also before his night on the mound ended, finishing the game with seven innings of work on 108 pitches, 80 for strikes. He allowed six hits and one walk for five runs, two earned, while striking out 10.

Oehrlein pitched two scoreless innings in relief and got the win, allowing no hits and two walks while striking out four.

Vold took the loss in four innings of relief, allowing one earned run on one hit and two walks while striking out seven.

Carlson finished the game 2 for 4 to lead Lamberton at the plate, while Eichten, Altermatt, Wahl and Isaac Jenniges each had a hit.

Oehrlein was 2 for 3 to lead the Pirates at the plate, while Grayson Fuchs was 2 for 5.