BP gets awesome and rallies past USC
Published 9:51 pm Tuesday, May 29, 2018
- Blooming Prairie’s Payton Simon and Brad Staska celebrate BP’s 11-10 win after Simon scored the winning run that sent BP to its first Section 1A title game in nearly a decade. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Blooming Prairie baseball team battled until the end as it kept its breakthrough season alive with a 11-10 win over USC in a Section 1A West elimination game in Riverland Tuesday.
BP had led for most of the game when the Rebels scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to go up 10-8. BP pulled within 10-9 when Colin Lerum doubled in a run and it won the game when Seth Peterson singled in two runs with one out.

Blooming Priairie’s Seth Peterson lines the game-winning hit againt United South Central in a Section 1A West tournament game in Riverland Tuesday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Peterson had a chance for a similar hit on Saturday against Lyle-Pacelli, but that time he didn’t come through.
“I’m one for two on game-winning hits,” Peterson said. “I wanted another chance super bad. When they walked [Max Romeo] in front of me, I was super excited.”
Although they were down to their last outs, Peterson and the Blossoms didn’t flinch on Tuesday.
“The bottom of the order has been hitting pretty well for us all year long and they came through with a couple of hits,” Peterson said. “They expect the top of the order to get it done and tonight we came through.”
The Awesome Blossoms (12-6 overall) hadn’t won a playoff game in nearly a decade before this season, and now they’ll be playing in the Section 1A tournament, where they will play Wabasha-Kellogg in Riverland at 10 a.m. Saturday.
BP also picked up 5-3 win over Hayfield on Monday to extend its season. The Blossoms were leading USC 4-1 in the second inning Monday night when the game was suspended to Tuesday.
“It means a lot for these kids to advance,” BP head coach Matt Kittelson said. “They’ve gone through a lot of tough years and to see them have success is pretty awesome.”

Blooming Prairie’s Payton Simon celebrates scoring the winning run in Riverland Tuesday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
BP pitching: Jack Abbe, 5 1/3 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 6 ER, 2 K, 2 HBP; Brad Staska, 1/3 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 1 HBP; Payton Simon 1 1/3 IP, 1 BB, 4 H, 3 ER 2 K
BP hitting: Simon, 1-for-2, double, 3 R, 2 BBs; Max Romeo, 3-for-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 2 R, BB; Seth Peterson, 2-for-3, 3 RBIs, R, BB; Staska, 0-for-3, BB; Dylan Nirk, 0-for-3, R, BB; Lucas Noble, 0-for-4, 2 RBIs; Trent Swenson, 2-for-4, double, 2 R; Ethan Arett, 0-for-2, 2 BBs; Colin Lerum, 2-for-3, double, RBI, 2 R