Amateur Baseball: Nisswa, Buckman win opening-round games

PIERZ — Buckman and Nisswa advanced in the Region 8C Tournament championship round with victories Saturday, Aug. 8, while the Pierz Brewers and Fort Ripley dropped into the elimination bracket with losses.

The Nisswa Lightning defeated the St. Stephens Steves 13-7 and the Buckman Billygoats shutout the Randall Cubs 5-0.

In other first-round action Saturday, the Upsala Blue Jays defeated the Pierz Brewers 4-1 and the Avon Lakers rallied past the Fort Ripley Rebels 9-3.

PIERZ — The Buckman Billygoats shutout the Randall Cubs 5-0 in the opening round of the Region 8C Tournament Saturday, Aug. 8.

The Goats got on the board in the second when Travis Kuhl delivered an RBI single.

The 1-0 score stood until the ninth when Buckman plated four more runs to seal the win. Noah Boser stroked a two-run double, Aaron Weber hit an RBI double and Matt Kummet’s single drove in the final run.

PIERZ — Upsala’s Matt Swanson struck out 13 batters in a 4-1 victory over the Pierz Brewers who were unable to hold off the Blue Jays in a 9-3 loss Saturday, Aug. 8, in the opening round of the Region 8C Tournament.

Swanson pitched all nine innings. He walked only one batter and gave up eight hits. Pete Schommer also went the distance for the Brewers. He struck out three, walked one and allowed two earned runs.

Rylee Rauch doubled and scored the only run for the Brewers. Ryan Stuckmayer was credited with the RBI.

Upsala 4 7 2

Pierz 1 8 2

WP: Matt Swanson. LP: Pete Schommer. 2B: U-Brandon Welinski; P-Rylee

Rauch.

PIERZ — The Fort Ripley Rebels led early, but were unable to hold off the Avon Lakers in a 9-3 loss Saturday, Aug. 9, in the opening round of the Region 8C Tournament.

Fort Ripley led 1-0 after four and 3-2 in the top of the seventh before Avon rallied.

The Lakers plated runs in their half of the seventh for a 6-3 lead and put

the game away in the eighth on a two-out, three-run homer by Caleb Currey.

EAST GRAND FORKS – The fifth-seeded Sobieski Skis were eliminated from the

Region 2B Tournament Friday, Aug. 7, with a pair of losses to the second-seeded East Grand Forks Mass at Strauss Park.

The Skis were crushed 18-1 in Game One and shut out 13-0 in Game Two. They

were outhit 41-11 in the two games.

During the regular season, EGF beat Sobieski 3-2 June 20 and 6-3 July 18.

Game One

Sobieski 1 5 2

East Grand Forks 18 20 0

Game Two

Sobieski 0 6 1

East Grand Forks 13 21 0