The Sartell Sabres have advanced to Thursday's Section 8AAA championship game with a 6-2 win over Alexandria at Joe Faber Field Tuesday afternoon.

The Sabres got on the board first with a four-run first inning and never looked back as the #1 seed held serve throughout the game.

Charlie Kent led off with a soft liner to centerfield that fell in for hit. The Sabres' shortstop then stole second base before Jacob Merrill drew a walk from Cardinals starter Shay Endres to put runners on first and second.

Jack Greenlun then plated Kent with a base hit to right field to make the score 1-0. Then, Steven Brinkerhoff knocked in Merrill and Greenlun's courtesy runner Andrew Ambrosier with a two-run single to make the score 3-0 before being knocked in himself on a Blake Haus sacrifice fly.

Neither team scored in the second or third inning, but Alexandria broke the short stalemate with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. JD Hennen led off the frame with a single and scored on a Grady Anderson double. Anderson came around to score on a throwing error by the Sabres' shortstop Kent.

Sartell got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ambrosier came around to score from second base on an Alexandria throwing error, making the score 5-2 after five.

Calen O'Connell hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the sixth inning and came in to score on a wild pitch to make it 6-2.

The Sabres made two errors but also made a few spectacular plays including a diving catch by left fielder O'Connell in the second inning and a stellar play in the hole by second baseman Merrill in the top of the sixth.

Chase Heying pitched a great game for Sartell, going the distance while allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out seven. He finished the game by retiring ten straight hitters.

Alexandria was its own worst enemy on Tuesday, issuing four walks, allowing the run on a wild pitch and committing three errors on their way to the loss.

Shay Endres took the loss on the mound for the Cardinals.

With the win, Sartell advances to the Section 8AAA championship game on Thursday at the MAC.

The Cardinals remain alive but will need to win three straight games to advance to the state tournament, first one game against the winner of the Bemidji/Rocori game (scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday) and then potentially two games against the Sabres on Thursday.

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