Bird Island and Maple Lake in MBA Class C Title Game

There will be a new Minnesota Baseball Association Class C Amateur Tournament champion.

The defending champs Nisswa Lightning had 4 losses this season.  All came against league and region foe the Buckman Billygoats.

In quarterfinals action at Litchfield today, Buckman jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never looked back.  Nisswa scratched out a run in the 6th inning before the Billygoats put a 3-run top of the 8th together to win 7-2.

Both teams had draftees start on the hill.  For Buckman it was Drew Beier of Foley who went the distance scattering 6 hits with a walk and 9 strikeouts.

For Nisswa, Carter Petron of Pierz threw the first inning with all four runs earned.  He allowed 2 hits, 2 walks and had a strikeout.  A wild pitch and hit batsman were also recorded.

Nate DeChaine took the ball for the next 7 innings with 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk and two strikeouts.

Nick Ackerman threw a scoreless 9th inning with a hit batter on his statline.

At the plate for the Billygoats Benjamin Thoma had a hit and 2 RBI, Matt Kummet  a sacrifice fly RBI and knocked in another run with a single.

Aaron Weber had a RBI double and Lane Girtz cracked two hits including a double and scored a run.

Nisswa lead-off hitter Kody Ruedisili had a solo home run.

Ruedisili played Division I baseball for the Wofford Terriers in South Carolina.  The Jupiter, Florida Eagle Scout was also an excellent student and Economics and Finance major.

Ruedisili played baseball for Wofford from 2014 to 2017 with a career batting average of .282.  He had 47 stolen bases, hit 15 triples, 37 doubles, 14 home runs with 195 total hits.

Ruedisili started in 200 games with 16 assists from his centerfield position.

The Billygoats then tangled with the Bird Island Bullfrogs after Bird Island ended St. Martin's season 3-0 in Litchfield.

Mitchell Bowman, draftee from Marshall was credited with the win while throwing 3.1 innings of relief.  Jared Dettmann started the game and left the hill after 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, no runs with a strikeout.

Bowman gave up 2 hits, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.  Three more pitchers would work for the Bulldogs with Aiden Elfering getting a save.

Ben Schroeder went to the mound for the Martins going 5.1 innings wityh 6 hits allowed, 3 runs, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.  Scott Lieser threw the final 2.2 innings of shutout ball with 3 hits given up, 2 walks, an intentional pass and 5 strikeouts.

James Woelfel led the Bullfrogs at the plate with a home run and double.  Jordan Sagedahl added 2 hits.  Logan Swann and Dylan Gass each had RBI hits

Bird Island then defeated Buckman 7-1 in a semifinals contest at Litchfield earning their place in the Championship game against Maple Lake on Labor Day in Delano.

The Billygoats outhit the Bullfrogs 10 to 8, but it's the runs that count.

Aiden Elfring started the game going 6 innings with 9 hits allowed, one run with 4 walks, an intentional walk, 1 strikeout.  Mitchell Bowman draftee from Marshall allowed 1 hit over the final 3 innings to get the save.

Buckman had Preston Rocheleau, draftee from Pierz start on the mound.  He went 4.1 innings with 7 hits and 7 runs allowed, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts.  Benjamin Thoma threw the final 3.2 innings and gave up 1 hit with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.

Seven different batters had hits for Bird Island with only lead-off man Braeden Tersteeg getting 2 hits including a double.

Another double was achieved by Jordan Sagedahl for an RBI.  Shawn Dollerschell had 2 RBI.

Matt Kummet continued his hot hitting for Buckman with 2 hits including a solo home run in the final game of the season for the Billygoats.

The Maple Lake Lakers ended the Jordan Brewers season 3-0 in Delano in the quarterfinals.

Jordan Flick draftee from Dassel-Cokato went the distance scattering 5 hits while strikingout 5 and walking 3 batters,

Nate Beckman took the hill for the Brewers with 8 hits allowed in 8 innings, 2 of the runs were earned with a walk, intentional walk, 4 strikeouts.

The Lakers had 2 doubles and a triple in the game.

Ben Clapp had both doubles and 3 hits in the contest.  Donnie Mavencamp motored for the triple with another hit and 2 RBI.  Riley Decker had 2 hits.

Maple Lake then went up against the Bluffton Braves in the other semifinals game.

The Braves spoiled the Delano A's dream of winning the title in their home ballpark after a nail biting 1-0 win in Delano.

Kolby Keiser draftee from Sebeka tossed a 4-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and no walks to earn the win.

Avery Leistman draftee from Litchfield threw 7 innings with Jake Nelson giving up a hit in the last two innings.  He struck out 3 batters.

Josh Dykhoff knocked in the only run of the game scoring Jake Dykhoff who had 2 hits in the game that sent the Braves to the semifinals against Maple Lake.

The Lakers edged Bluffton 8-6 to earn their spot in the Labor Day Championship game at 1:00 p.m. in Delano.

Alex Winslow started for Maple Lake on the hill and went the first 3 innings giving up 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned with 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 hit batter, 1 wild pitch.

Riley Gruenhagen, draftee from Cokato went the next 4 innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, while walking 2, striking out 5.

Hunter Malachek was credited with the win after throwing the final 2 innings with 1 hit and 1 run allowed.  He walked none and struck out 3 batters.

The Lakers tallied 10 hits, Bluffton 8 hits in the contest.

Josh Dykhoff started pitching for Bluffton going 3.2 innings with 5 hits given up, 3 runs all earned, 3 walks, 1 strike out, 1 wild pitch.

Peyton Rondesvedt went 1.2 innings allowing 4 hits, 3 earned runs with 1 walk, 1 hit batter,

Dustin Geiser threw the final 2.2 innings of the season for Bluffton with 1 hit and 2 unearned runs allowed.  He issued an intentional walk and walked 2 other batters with 1 strikeout and a hit batter.

It was a 3 to 2 game going into the bottom of the 6th inning when Maple Lake scored 3 runs,  Bluffton answered with 4 runs in the top of the 8th to tie the game.

In the bottom of the 8th inning the Lakers responded with 2 runs of their own.

Lakers third baseman Ben Clapp had a monster game with 3 hits, 5 RBI, 2 walks, a home run.  Logan Orazem scored two runs with 2 hits hammered also.

The Braves had 2 errors, Maple Lake 1 miscue.