They needed his brilliance too because they only put two runs on the board. The first run though… was probably the greatest run to ever be scored in a baseball game.

What a great moment.

Kuznia was taken out with 2 outs in the 5th inning and that’s when Jackson Knudson stole the SportCenter Top Ten Plays and saved the game for his home state.

That catch would end up being the winning catch because neither team would score another run and the game ended at 2-1! It’s a double-elimination tournament so the Minnesota team out of Coon Rapids will move on in the winner’s bracket. If you have ever played in a double-elimination tournament then you know how important winning that first one is. 

Their next game will now be on Sunday at 10 AM vs Virginia, who is 4-0 including regional play. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

What a team and what a comeback and what a Jameson Kuznia! This kid is the ultimate gamer and has put Minnesota into the Little League World Series! He is the one you want at the plate for every big moment possible. What a hero. This is a blog about 12-year-olds playing baseball so I’m trying to keep the profanity out of my language but it’s not easy.

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We need to embrace every chance we have at moments like this. This is the Little League World Series. There isn’t really anything bigger that happens in the month of August than the LLWS. And, we get to watch a Minnesota play in it. How much better did our August just get?

Iowa mounted quite a rally of their own in the bottom of the 6th, when they scored one run and had the bases loaded. But, they don’t have Jameson Kuznia to hit big time bombs in big time moments.

See you at Williamsport! (from my Eagan living room 60-inch TV) Game 1 will be this Thursday, August 15, at 6 PM

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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I’m disappointed in myself for missing this development and I’m disappointed at the rest of my friends, family, and internet friends for not making me aware either… There is a Coon Rapids-Andover Little League team that is currently playing in Indiana for a chance to go to the little big show… The Little League World Series.

Unfortunately, I pick up the story with a heart-crushing loss from last night, to a team from Iowa. Minnesota scored in the first inning, before Iowa tied it at 1 in the second. Then in the top of the 6th (and last) inning, they gave up 2 more runs and couldn’t fight back in the bottom half. This isn’t the end of the story or road so bare with this video.

Minnesota vs. Iowa is the first highlight:

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Sad, right?

Anyway, it gets better. They moved to the loser’s bracket and played Missouri this morning. The winner would play Iowa on Saturday morning to go to the Little League World Series.

The game was close until the very end. It was actually tied at 0 until the 3rd when Minnesota loaded the bases with 2 bunts and a walk. With one out, Drew Law came to the plate and hit a hard ground ball up the middle to the second baseman. The way it’s written on the LLWS website, it looks like it was a hit with a wild throw that ended up advancing everyone an extra base, scoring a total of two and putting Law on 2nd base.

That’s where the score stayed until the 5th inning, when Jameson Kuznia came to the plate with 2 runners in scoring position and one out… then the big boy did this:

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That tomahawk shot made it 4-0 and things only got better from there, when Minnesota scored 5 more runs in the 6th inning and the game ended in a blowout of serious confidence-building proportions, 9-0.

So tomorrow morning at 10 AM, the rematch vs Iowa will take place and a trip to the Little League World Series will be on the line. Minnesota will have to win TWICE ONCE to advance since they are coming out of the loser’s bracket.

THE GAME WILL BE LIVE ON ESPN AT 10 AM and I will be all over Twitter for it.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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