Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall shortstop Andrew Stelter (left) attempts to tag a Mankato West runner as second baseman Eli Weedman (back) looks on in a 2AAA semifinal matchup, Tuesday at Johnson Park in New Ulm.

NEW ULM — After a strong start to the postseason, the top-seeded Marshall Tigers’ season came to an end on Tuesday after getting upset twice in a row in the Section 2AAA tournament. Marshall entered the day one win away from its first section final appearance since its 2021 run to the state tournament, but it fell 4-3 in eight innings to No. 2 Mankato West in the semifinals and then 4-1 to No. 3 Mankato East in the elimination bracket.

“Today could have gone either way. I mean, we could be sitting at this thing in Marshall right now, playing for a section championship,” Marshall manager Chace Pollock said. “We’re that close to that point. To run into a kid that got ejected in previous games, he comes back, he’s eligible and he beats you, I mean it’s just things didn’t work out today.”

Marshall fell victim to some bad bounces off the bat late in their first game. The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth and two outs in the seventh, but hard-hit line drives on both plays led to a double play in the sixth and a game-ending out in the seventh.

“Those are all good at-bats, and that’s baseball,” Pollock said. “You could hit 100 of those things right at people, and the next thing you know, you’re getting jam shots over the infielder’s head and they’re a hit. It’s just the way the game works, just wasn’t our day.”

The Tigers wrap up their season with a 20-7 record, and they graduate a strong group of seniors that includes Eli and Chase Alcorn, Andrew Stelter, Levi Maeyaert, Eli Weedman, JR Vierstraete, Clay Jones and Logan Phillippe.

“It means a lot [to be a part of this program]. I had a lot of fun playing,” Weedman said. “Coach Pollock’s great, all the coaches are great. But what stuck out to me was how much fun it was playing for the team. We all had a lot of fun.”

After the game, Pollock emphasized the commitment to getting better that his seniors have demonstrated over the years, adding that they’re going to be greatly missed.

“I’m proud of them. Hopefully the program changed their lives, that’s what we’re here for ultimately,” Pollock said. “Wins and losses aside, hopefully baseball will help shape their lives.”

Andrew Lee got the start in the first game while Noah Pieper took the loss in relief, and Noah Frazee pitched a complete-game in Marshall’s loss to Mankato East in the nightcap.

Stelter, Lee and Chase Alcorn each logged a pair of hits on the day for Marshall, including a double each for Stelter and Lee. Lee also finished the day with two RBIs and a walk.

“We’re one of the better teams in the state … just there are 20 to 25 teams in this whole thing that could make it to state,” Pollock said. “We’re one of them, just you need a lot of things to go your way. As you saw today, it just didn’t today. It won’t stop us from keeping on working and getting better trying to get there next year.”

GAME 1

No. 2 Mankato West 4, No. 1 Marshall 3

With the score tied in the bottom of the sixth, a walk to Pieper and singles by Chase Alcorn and Keynan Coequyt loaded the bases with no outs. Ethan Weedman followed up by crushing a line drive down the third baseline, but West made the grab in the air and tagged the base for a double-play, and a strikeout ended the rally fruitless.

Mankato West took advantage of the new life once the game went to extras. With one out, Gavin Torvick and Carter Sartell hit back-to-back singles, and Kason Nuehring singled home Torvick for what would be the game-winning run.

Facing a one-run deficit with its back against the wall, Marshall rallied to give itself a chance to advance. A walk to Pieper put the tying run on when the Scarlets made their first pitching change of the day, and Chase Alcorn singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Alcorn stole second to put the walk-off run in scoring position, but a strikeout put two away.

The Tigers continued to fight with a walk to Ethan Weedman, bringing his brother Eli Weedman to the plate. Eli had hit a walk-off single for the Tigers in their quarterfinal win over New Ulm on Saturday, and he again made good contact with the game on the line on Tuesday. Yet, the line-drive was caught at third base to end the game.

Marshall got off to a strong start with three second-inning runs, but that was all the offense the Tigers could muster in the game. Chase Alcorn was hit by a pitch, Jackson Sirovy singled and the two advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. The Scarlets tried to get the out at the plate on an Ethan Weedman grounder up the middle, but Alcorn turned on the jets and beat the throw to score the game’s first run.

A pop out put two away, but Lee crushed a two-run double to straightaway center for a 3-0 Tiger lead.

Lee threw the first 4 1/3 innings for Marshall, giving up three earned runs on seven hits and four walks. Pieper took over for the remaining 3 2/3 innings, limiting Mankato West to one earned run on four hits with no walks, but he was charged with the loss.

Mankato West got on the board in the third with a walk and an RBI single, but Andrew Stelter fielded a ground ball and turned a 5-4-3 double play to get out of the inning without further damage.

The Scarlets put together another rally in the fourth when a pair of singles by Evan Senske and Benjamin O’Neil put the tying run on base. With the two on the corners, Marshall caught O’Neil in a run down as he tried to steal second, but Senske took advantage of the chaos and run home as Marshall made the tag by second.

Emmitt Rentas followed up with a double and Mason Schreiber drew a walk to put the tying and go-ahead runs on with one out when Pieper took over on the mound. Gavin Torvick tied up the game for the Scarlets with a single, and Mankato West nearly broke the game open with another hit to deep left field on the next play.

Yet, Coequyt ranged back, leaped into the air and fully extended his glove to make a grab as he fell to the ground. The catch was so unbelievable that the West runners didn’t even think to tag up, and Coequyt threw the ball into second base for an inning-ending double play.

Rentas pitched the first 7 1/3 innings for West, striking out four batters while limiting Marshall to three earned runs on five hits and three walks on 111 pitches. In relief, Senske got the final two outs with a strikeout, a hit and a walk.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 0-3, HBP, SO; N. Pieper: 0-2, BB; C. Alcorn: 2-3, HBP, R, SO; J. Sirovy: 1-3, R, SO; K. Coequyt: 1-1; Et. Weedman: 0-3, BB, RBI, R; A. Lee: 2-2 (2B), BB, 2 RBI.

PITCHING

A. Lee: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO; N. Pieper: L, 3.2 IP, 4 H, R, ER.

No. 3 Mankato East 4, No. 1 Marshall 1

Marshall wasn’t able to shake off the loss from its first game as it headed into the elimination bracket. The Tigers were held scoreless for the game’s first five innings, marking a stretch of 11 consecutive innings without a run on the day, and the Cougars capitalized.

Mankato East loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third, and a hit batter and a sacrifice fly gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Logan Hasz also hit a two-run double with two outs in the seventh to give East another pair of insurance runs.

The Tigers’ lone run of the day came in the bottom of the sixth. Maeyaert reached on an error and Bailey singled to start the inning, and Sirovy hit a sacrifice fly into deep left field to get the Tigers on the scoreboard. Yet, a strikeout ended the inning and East re-extended its lead in the seventh.

Frazee threw all seven innings for Marshall in the game, holding East to four earned runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts despite taking the loss.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 2-4 (2B), SB, SO; L. Maeyaert: 0-3, R; T. Bailey: 1-3; C. Alcorn: 0-2, BB; J. Sirovy: 0-2, RBI; N. Pieper: 0-1, BB, SB, SO; El. Weedman: 1-2, BB, SB.

PITCHING

N. Frazee: L, 7 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO.