North Clay NTC Tournament Champs; Altamont Takes 3rd Place Honors

The North Clay Cardinals won the championship of the 2021 National Trail Conference Baseball Tournament Friday night, defeating the Windsor/Stew-Stras Hatchets 11-3.

The Altamont Indians won the third place game, defeating the St. Anthony Bulldogs 6-3. 

Both games were heard on KJ Country 102.3 and www.kjcountry.com. 

North Clay grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Windsor/Stew-Stras tied it at 2-2 in the second inning before North Clay scored in the bottom of the frame to go back up 3-2. The Cardinals added a run in the third to make it 4-2, then scored twice in the fourth to go ahead 6-2. Windsor/Stew-Stras scored their final run in the fifth to make it 4-3, but North Clay then added two runs in the fifth to make it 6-3 and a run in the fifth to make it 7-3 before plating four runs in the sixth to account for the final score. 

North Clay's Donnie Zimmerman had three hits, while Collyn Ballard, Logan Fleener, Dakota Weidner and Layton Dawkins each had a hit. Fleener and Weidner each doubled.

For WSS, Samuel Vonderheide had three hits, Gavan Wernsing two hits, and Austin Wittenberg, Tyler Wetherell, Graham Kasey, Carter Chaney and Rhett Rincker each a hit.

Carson Burkett got the win, allowing two earned runs over five innings of work and scattering 10 hits. Holden Clifton pitched two shutout innings to close it out for the Cardinals.

Graham Kasey took the loss.

North Clay finished the fall season at 26-1, while Windsor/Stew-Stras finished at 11-5. 

In the third place game, Altamont got single runs in the second and fourth before St. Anthony scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 3-2. Altamont bounced back with a four-run fifth inning to end the scoring.

Tyler Robbins and Kienon Eirhart each had two hits for Altamont, while Wyatt Phillips doubled and drove in three runs. Mason Robinson had a hit and a walk, Dillan Elam had a hit, and Robbins, Eirhart and Nathan Stuemke each drove in a run.

Colton Fearday singled twice for St. Anthony, and Angelo Mendella, Brody Niebrugge, Will Hoene and Eli Levitt each had a hit. Beau Adams drove in a run.

Robinson got the win for Altamont, allowing three runs on three hit and two walks in four innings, striking out five. Aden McManaway went 1-1/3 innings and gave up two hits and a walk, and Elam pitched the final 1-2/3 innings and gave up a hit while fanning two.

Levitt took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing six runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five in five innings of work. Brock Fearday pitched an inning, giving up a hit and striking out a batter, and Brady Hatton threw the final inning, fanning a batter.