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Overall, the team hit the ball very well, said coach Otto Naujokas, and battled back through the loser's bracket after dropping their first game to Edina 10-9. Highlights for the team were a come-from-behind, ten-inning victory over New Prague 8-7 on Saturday and eliminating Edina 2-0 on Sunday.

Paynesville lost to Edina 10-9 on Thursday, beat Burnsville-Savage 9-7 on Friday, ten-runned St. Francis 13-3 on Saturday morning, beat New Prague on Saturday night 8-7, shut out Edina 2-0 on Sunday, and lost to Hopkins 14-12 on Sunday afternoon.

Against Edina on Thursday, Paynesville rallied from a 5-0 deficit with a five-run rally of their own, highlighted by James Paul's two-out triple, in the second. Then Paynesville took a 7-5 lead with two runs in the third.

Edina rallied to take a 9-7 lead, but Paynesville scored two runs in the top of the ninth, getting hits from Cory Nietfeld, Chuck Mackedanz (who doubled), Ben Moser, and Brett Savelkoul. The go-ahead run for Paynesville was thrown out at the plate by Edina, who scored a run on an error in the bottom of the seventh to win 10-9.

The Paynesville Junior Legion baseball team placed third, going 4-2, at the state tournament in Edina last week. Pictured are: (front) Sam Bayer and James Paul; (middle) Trent Hansen, John Hemingson, Alex Naujokas, and Colin Spooner; (back) Brett Savelkoul, assitant coach Tony Hoffman, Ted Hoffman, Chuck Mackedanz, Ben Moser, Cory Nietfeld, Chris Block, Shane Kampsen, Danny Lien, and coach Otto Naujokas.

Paynesville score four runs in the bottom of the second, three in the third, and two in the fourth to beat Savage 9-7 on Friday afternoon. Mackedanz had an RBI single, and Alex Naujokas and Trent Hansen hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the second. Sam Bayer had an RBI single in the third and an RBI double in the fourth, when John Hemingson also had an RBI single.

On Saturday morning, Paynes-ville used a 14-hit attack to score 13 runs and beat St. Francis 13-3 in five innings by the ten-run rule. Paynes-ville built a 9-0 lead before St. Francis scored three runs in the third and scored four runs in the top of the fifth to invoke the ten-run rule. Hansen, Naujokas, Paul, and Savelkoul each had two hits and two runs in the rout, while Hemingson and Nietfield also had two hits.

On Saturday evening, in a game delayed after the storms hit Edina, Paynesville rallied to win a back-and-forth game with New Prague 8-7 in ten innings. Paynesville's first three batters - Naujokas, Hansen, and Paul - scored in the first inning, but then New Prague held Paynes-ville scoreless until the seventh inning, building a 6-3 lead.

Shane Kampsen tripled to lead off the seventh inning for Paynesville and scored on a passed ball. Then Paynesville loaded the bases with three walks and scored three more runs on an RBI single by Paul and a two-run single by Bayer.

New Prague, though, tied the score at 7-7 with a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Paynesville scored the winning run, ending the three-hour game, in the top of the tenth when Naujokas singled, advanced to third on two passed balls, and scored on a two-out single by Hansen.

Paynsville won a pitcher's duel on Sunday afternoon, eliminating host Edina with a 2-0 victory. Hemingson pitched a complete-game four-hitter for Paynesville, which played error-free defense.

"That was the only game we didn't score many runs," said coach Otto Naujokas, "but our pitching and our defense came through."

Alex Naujokas singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice in the first inning to give Paynesville a 1-0 lead. Hansen's RBI single in the fourth scored their second run.

Hopkins erased a 6-2 Paynesville lead with five runs in the third and six more in the fourth, ending Paynesville's four-game winning streak at the state tournament on Sunday. Hopkins advanced to the final against Lakeville while Paynesville took third.

Trailing 13-6, Paynesville rallied to get within 13-12 but could not score in their last two turns at bat, while Hopkins added a run in the seventh to win 14-2. Paynesville scored three runs in the first, second, fourth, and fifth innings.

Edina 10, Paynesville 9

Paynesville--	052	000	2	- 9	13	5
Edina--	501	201	1	- 10	10	3

Paynesville - Batting: Chuck Mackedanz 3-4 2B-2 R-2 RBI; Ben Moser 2-3 RBI SB; James Paul 2-4 3B RBI-3 R; Cory Nietfeld 2-4; Brett Savelkoul 1-3 R RBI; Sam Bayer 1-4 R-3; Alex Naujokas 1-4 R RBI-2; John Hemingson 1-4 SB; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Paul (L) (6.1-10-10-4-5-2). Paynesville 9, Savage 7

Savage--	201	000	4	- 7	6	2
Paynesville--	043	200	x	- 9	13	1

Paynesville - Batting: Sam Bayer 3-3 2B RBI-2 R-2 SB; Alex Naujokas 3-4 2B R RBI SB; Trent Hansen 3-4 2B R RBI SB-2; John Hemingson 1-3 R-2 RBI SB-2; Cory Nietfeld 1-3 R SB; Chuck Mackedanz 1-3 R-2 2B RBI SB; James Paul 1-4 SB; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Hemingson (W) (7-6-7-5-7-10). Paynesville 13, St. Francis 3

Paynesville--	225	04x	x	- 13	14	2
St. Francis--	003	00x	x	- 3	8	4

Paynesville - Batting: John Hemingson 2-2 R RBI BB-2; Brett Savelkoul 2-3 R-2; Alex Naujokas 2-3 2B R-2 SB-2; Trent Hansen 2-4 R-2 RBI; James Paul 2-4 R-2 RBI-2; Cory Nietfeld 2-4 R; Sam Bayer 1-4 2B R RBI; Colin Spooner 1-1; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Ben Moser (W) (5-7-3-3-0-3). Paynesville 8, New Prague 7

Paynesville--	300	000	400	1	- 8	11	5
New Prague--	030	111	000	0	- 7	12	3

Paynesville - Batting: Alex Naujokas 3-6 R-3 SB-3 BB-2; Sam Bayer 2-5 RBI-2; James Paul 2-6 2B R-2 RBI-2; Shane Kampsen 1-3 3B R; Trent Hansen 1-3 R-2 RBI; Ben Moser 1-1; Cory Nietfeld 1-4; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Nietfeld (3-2-3-3-2-2); Chuck Mackedanz (1/2-4-2-2-2-0); Paul (W) (5.1-6-2-1-1-4). Paynesville 2, Edina 0

Paynesville--	000	100	0	- 2	8	0
Edina--	000	000	0	- 0	4	0

Paynesville - Batting: Alex Naujokas 2-4 R SB-2; John Hemingson 2-4 SB; Ben Moser 2-3; Trent Hansen 1-4 RBI; Cory Nietfeld 1-3 SB; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Hemingson (W) (7-4-0-0-1-2). Hopkins 14, Paynesville 12

Hopkins--	025	600	1	- 14	14	2
Paynesville--	330	330	0	- 12	12	1

Paynesville - Batting: Alex Naujokas 3-4 R-4 SB-2; Cory Nietfeld 2-3 R RBI-2 SB; James Paul 2-4 R-2 RBI-2 SB; John Hemingson 2-4 R RBI-2 SB; Sam Bayer 1-4 RBI-2; Brett Savelkoul 1-4 R-2; Trent Hansen 1-5 R-2; Pitching: (ip) Ben Moser (L) (2.1); Paul (1.1); Ted Hoffman (1.1); Hemingson (2).