GROTON -- Brandon Stanley's three-run homer with two out in the last of the ninth inning boosted Groton a 3-2 win over Clark-Willow Lake and the Region 6B tournament championship Sunday.
After a pair of ground outs to open the ninth, Dylan Krueger walked and Drew Planteen followed with a single to put runners at first and third, bringing Stanley to the plate. Stanley hit a fastball to left-center to give Groton the win.
"I don't think I can ever remember when we had a walk-off win like that," said Groton coach Travis Kurth. "Especially in a game of this magnitude. We were prepared to go to game two."
Clark-Willow Lake had broken up a scoreless game with two runs in the top of the eighth inning. Groton starting pitcher Parker Rossow threw eight innings, and registered 10 strikeouts. It was Rossow's first time back on the mound since an injury sidelined him.
"Parker pitched as well as he ever has," Kurth said. "He broke his arm and had been out for a month."
The game was tight the whole way, with the teams combining for just 11 hits total. Clark-Willow Lake pitcher Andrew Wagner threw a complete game, scattering seven hits.
"There weren't many opportunities to score," Kurth said. "We couldn't put anything together. It was tough to string (hits) together. The Wagner kid kept us off-balance and my hat's off to him. He just made one mistake."
Kurth noted Stanley has a couple of home runs on the year, and Sunday's will likely be one he remembers for a long time.
"He has been swinging it pretty well most of the tourney," Kurth said. "Everything fell into place the way we needed it to happen."
Groton improved to 28-7 with the win and advances to the State B tournament which begins Friday at Webster. Groton will play the hosts in the final game Friday night.
Clark-Willow Lake|000 000 020--2 4 2
Groton|000 000 3--3 7 2
Andrew Wagner and Lane Hovde; Parker Rossow, Jamie Jorgensen (8), Drew Planteen (9) and Casey Kurtz. 2B -- Groton, Planteen. HR -- Groton, Brandon Stanley.