Riley Bernsdorf's two-out single tied the game, while Trevor Bernsdorf scored the go-ahead run on a balk as Ely scored twice in the sixth and edged Virginia 9-8 before a boisterous crowd at Veterans Memorial Field.
Jory Johnson, the fourth Ely pitcher to work in the game, stranded two runners in the seventh and got the win. He also got a huge boost from Riley Bernsdorf, when the Ely catcher picked a Virginia runner off of first.
It was a big day all around for the Bernsdorfs. Riley, who just completed seventh grade, went three-for-four with four runs batted in, while ninth-grader Trevor had two hits and scored twice.
College freshman Josh Ojala, back in the lineup after missing a week-and-a-half with an injury, closed out a solid tournament with a four-for-four performance at the plate. His single started the sixth-inning rally.
It looked like Ely would cruise after Post 248 erased a 2-0 Virginia lead with four runs in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Riley Bernsdorf's two-run single closed out the third-inning rally while Ojala knocked in a run the following inning to make it 5-2. Riley Bernsdorf and Greg Helget drove in runs in the fifth.
But Virginia wasn't done. The visitors sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth, as two-run singles by Pat Anderson and Jeremy Paschke closed the gap. A squeeze bunt by Jim Paskett tied the score and Paschke scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
That set the stage for Ely's late-inning heroics. Johnson followed starter Nick Mathews, who worked three innings, as well as relievers Trevor Bernsdorf and Helget. Both Mathews and Trevor Bernsdorf had two hits.
Duluth Lakeview won the Sir G's title in its first trip to the tournament, outscoring Cloquet 19-9 in the championship game. In other action on Sunday, Frazee scored five times in the seventh to beat Detroit Lakes 9-8, and Deer River beat Cook County 9-6.
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