The Cannon Falls Bears advanced in Region 5C Minnesota Amateur Baseball Saturday with a 3-0 win over the Stewartville-Racine Sharks.  A severe thunderstorm rolled through Cannon Falls in the top of the 6th inning.  The grounds crew (primarily Bears players) led by high school Head Coach Bucky Lindow drained the pond.  The rain delay was 2 hours 14 minutes.

Both starting pitchers resumed on the mound.  Meyers went the distance throwing 121 pitches, 72 for strikes.  He struck out 5, issued no walks and hit two batters.  Some stellar defense behind him aided in the shutout victory.

Sharks pitcher Tyler Schmitz also went the distance with 100 pitches thrown through 8 innings, 77 for strikes.  He had 6 strikeouts, no walks.  Stewartville-Racine had 3 errors, one leading to a run in the game.

Meyers rolled through the first three innings allowing just one hit.  Schmitz matched that accomplishment.  In the top of the 4th inning the Sharks had back to back singles to start the inning by Sean Hohmeister and Ben Ihrke.  Meyers then got a line drive out and fly out to keep the runners at first and second base.  Following a hit batter that loaded the bases designated hitter Shane Mlenar popped out to the shortstop to end the threat.

In the bottom of the 4th inning the Bears had back to back singles by Brock Peterson and Colton Lindow to open.  Veteran Rich Burr tried to put down a sacrifice bunt but was unsuccessful on the first two pitches.  He shortened his swing on the next pitch and hit an opposite field single scoring Peterson.

Zeke Williams was able to lay down a bunt to advance the runners. Lindow then scored on a ground out to give Cannon Falls a 2-0 lead.

The Sharks would have only one other threat.  In the top of the 6th inning Ihrke was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Jade Boettcher hammered the ball to the shortstop side of second base not too far from the bag.  Shortstop Peterson slid to his left to stop the ball and had to make an awkward flip to second baseman Alex Tauer.  Tauer made a terrific relay to first for the double play.

Meyers stuffed any hopes for Stewartville-Racine by retiring the last 7 batters he faced, 9 of the last 10 with all of his strikeouts achieved during that stretch.

The Bears added a run in the 5th inning when Peterson hit a single to score Jake Christenson from second base.  Christenson had reached on a Sharks error and stole second earlier.

The line totals were:       Stewartville-Racine     0 runs    6 hits    3 errors   7 lob/3
Cannon Falls               3 runs    6 hits    0 errors   5 lob/4

Earlier in the day Red Wing downed Lake City 7-1 and Rochester rolled past Owatonna 9-1.

Wanamingo defeated #2 seed Austin 9-2 setting up today's action.  At 10:00 a.m. Lake City and Owatonna play in a do or die game.  1:00 p.m.  Stewartville-Racine faces Austin.

At 4:00 p.m. Red Wing and Rochester hook up.  7:00 p.m. it's Cannon Falls and Wanamingo.

I waited out the severe thunderstorm in the men's restroom with about a half dozen other people.  High winds and torrential rain slammed into Cannon Falls leaving a significant amount of damage around town.  There was also extensive lightning.

As I was leaving around 11:30 I noticed large limbs of trees sheared from their trunks.  There was also a report of a house losing a portion of it's roof just south of Cannon Falls.  Small branches were strewn all around the streets.

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