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The top seeded Hayfield baseball team survived a first round scare as it beat New Ulm Cathedral 5-4 in the opening round of the Class A State Baseball Tournament in St. Cloud Tuesday.

Hayfield led 5-1 after five innings, but Cathedral scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh. The Greyhounds had the bases loaded with two outs in the final frame when Easton Fritcher came in and closed the win out with a strikeout.

Fritcher had intentionally walked Cathedral’s Sam Knowles to push in the fourth run before he struck out Levi Franta looking.

“(Knowles) hadn’t had a hit yet, but he had three missiles and we weren’t going to let him beat us,” Hayfield head coach Kasey Krekling said.

Nolan Klocke struck out seven in limited action for Hayfield as Karver Heydt replaced him in the sixth.

“Nolan threw really well and when he hit his 75 pitch limit, we pulled him so he could pitch Friday if we make it (to the title game). “Karver was doing real well and all of the sudden the wheels came off.”

Hayfield will play No. 4 Sacred Heart in a state semifinal at 11 a.m. in St. Cloud Tuesday.

The Class A title game will be played in Target Field at 10 a.m. Friday.

Hayfield pitching: Nolan Klocke (W) 5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 7 K; Karver Hedyt 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 K; Easton Fritcher (S) 1/3 IP, 2 BB, 0 R, 1 K

Hayfield hitting: Fritcher, 1-for-1, triple, 2 RBIs, R; Klocke, 0-for-2, R; Isaac Watson, 1-for-4; Aidan Nelson, 2-for-4, RBI; Ethan Pack, 1-for-3, R; Zander Jacobson, 1-for-3; Eric Beremea, 0-for-2, R; Kobe Foster, 3-for-3, 2 doubles, R