The Hayfield baseball team had its season come to an end in a 6-3 loss to Southland in a Section 1A elimination game in Dick Seltz Field Saturday, but there’s little doubt about how far the Vikings have come in the past two years.

Hayfield, which won three straight elimination games to get to its last game, struggled with numbers and it won just one playoff game last season.

“Where we’ve gone in the last two years is leaps and bounds from where we started last year,” Hayfield head coach Kasey Krekling said. “Our younger programs have way bigger numbers and we only graduate one senior. We’re expecting big things next year.”

The Vikings (10-13 overall) beat Fillmore Central (5-12 overall) 4-1 to start the day behind the pitching of sophomore Blake Risius, who only threw three innings of varsity ball all season.

Risius scattered four hits and two walks in the win.

“He pitched a great game. We asked him to throw strikes and he did what he had too,” Krekling said.

Hayfield had its chances against Southland. The Vikings jumped to a 2-0 lead when Drew Streightiff doubled in a pair of runs in the first inning and Hayfield had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the sixth while trailing 4-2.

Cam Rutledge popped out and JB Stackhouse flew out as the Vikings couldn’t score.

“We had the number two and three hitters up. There’s nothing you can do there,” Krekling said. “This one hurts. We thought we could beat them and give Wabasha a run for their money. But it wasn’t meant to be and we’ll work hard in the offseason.”

Hayfield committed four errors in the season ending loss to Southland as Hayfield pitcher Cole Kruger allowed just five hits.

“We gave them a bunch of their runs,” Krekling said. “Usually giving up five hits means one or two runs. Cole pitched well enough to win, but we didn’t play enough defense to win.”

Hayfield 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 3 8 4

Southland 0 0 3 1 0 2 X — 6 7 0

Southland pitching: Isaac Kloeckner (W), 7 IP, 8 H, 2 BBs, 3 ER, 6 K, 1 HBP

Southland hitting: Schwartz, 2-for-5, 2 doubles, 2 R; Reinartz, 1-for-4, double; Anderson, 1-for-2, double, 2 RBIs, R, 2 BBs; Goergen, 2-for-3, double, RBI, R; Schmitz, 0-for-4, RBI; Bendtsen, 1-for-2, HBP; Klaehn, 0-for-3; Travis Bruggeman, 0-for-3; Finbraaten, 0-for-2, 2 R, BB

Hayfield pitching: Cole Kruger (L), 6 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 K, 1 HBP

Hayfield hitting: Kruger, 1-for-4; Cam Rutledge, 1-for-3, R, BB; Jason Born, 1-for-4; Drew Streightiff, 1-for-3, double, 3 RBIs; Connor Nelson, 0-for-4; Carter Pesch, 1-for-2, HBP; Mat Walters, 0-for-2; Jacob Steiner, 0-for-1, SB, BB; Karl Stasko, R; Ben Czaplewski, 1-for-1

FC 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 1 4 1

Hayfield 2 0 1 0 1 0 X — 4 7 2

Hayfield pitching: Blake Risius (W), 7 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 HBP

Hayfield hitting: Cole Kruger, 2-for-4, triple, RBI, R, SB; JB Stackhouse, 2-for-2, double, RBI, R, HBP; Drew Streightiff, 2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs; Mat Walters, 2-for-2, R, BB