Vultures turn back Montevideo, 3-1

Peyton Gillund and Adam Dalager combined on a four-hitter with nine strikeouts as Minneota defeated Montevideo 3-1 in a non-league game last Thursday at Montevideo.
The Vultures end the regular season with a 4-8 record as they head into the playoffs on Tuesday. Luverne won the league title this summer.
"It was a tough summer playing in a league with much bigger towns, but we feel like we played up to the competition and the boys improved quite a bit being pushed by these older, bigger teams," said Minneota coach J.D. Pesch. "We really didn't have any blowout games and played all the games with close scored and competitive games."
Gillund started and hurled the first four innings, allowing four hits and one run, while walking none and striking out three. Dalager came in a pitched three hitless innings with six strikeouts and no hits or walks to earn the win.
"The boys are playing well right now," Pesch said. "We are pitching well, holding runners on, and hitting out locations. We are playing better in the field but can always improve on making clean plays and eliminating mental errors.
The Vultures trailed Montevideo 1-0 until tying the game in the top of fourth when Ryan Meagher drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a single by Isaac Pohlen and to third on a passed ball. He scored on Alex DePestel's ground out.
The Vultures scored twice more in the sixth. Brody Larson led off with a double and scored on Meagher's double. Pohlen then singled Meagher to third. A walk to Ryan Dalager loaded the bases and Joe Voit was hit by a pitch to force in Meagher.
Minneota now moves into the North half of the league against teams closer to its size. Granite Falls is the top seed, followed by Cottonwood, Montevideo, MACCRAY/Renville County West, Minneota, Madison and Canby/Dawson.
Minneota plays MACCRAY/RCW on Tuesday, July 20 in Granite Falls in the first round of the double-elimination tournament, with the winner facing top-seeded Granite Falls on Friday, July 23, and the loser playing on Tuesday, July 27 in the loser's bracket.

Minneota 3, Montevideo 1
Minneota................................000 102 0 - 3 6 1
Montevideo............................001 000 0 - 1 4 1

Minneota hitting: Peyton Gillund 0-for-4; Brody Larson 2-for-4, 2b, run; Ryan Meagher 2-for-3, 2 runs, 2b, rbi; Isaac Pohlen 2-for-3; Alex DePestel 0-for-3; Ryan Dalager 0-for-2, bb; Eli Gruenes 0-for-1; Matt Gamrak 0-for-2; Keaton Jurrens 0-for-1; Joe Voit 0-for-1, hbp; Adam Dalager 1-for-3

Minneota pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Peyton Gillund (W) 4-4-1-1-0-3, Ryan Dalager (S) 3-0-0-0-0-6