Area Baseball: Aitkin, Pierz advance to title games

SUPERIOR, Wis.-Jeb Sanford and Caleb Curtiss each contributed a single and a double for Class 2A's 12th-ranked Aitkin Gobblers, who defeated 10th-ranked Esko 9-1 Tuesday to advance to Thursday's Section 7-2A championship game.

The Gobblers scored in every inning but the third.

Aitkin went up 1-0 in the first when Sam Peterson walked and went to third on Jeb Sandford's double. He scored on a passed ball.

Caleb Curtis doubled to lead off the second for the Gobblers. He advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on Wyatt Kokesh's fielder's choice.

In the bottom of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and two outs, Wyatt Sanford and Jack Kuppich delivered RBI singles to make it 4-1.

Aitkin added two more runs in the fifth on a pair of walks and singles by Jeb Sanford, Dylan Quade and Logan Cluff.

The Gobblers put the game away with three more runs on a passed ball, error and RBI single by Kokesh.

Quade finished 2-2 with two runs and Peterson went 2-3 with two runs.

Five different pitchers took the mound for Aitkin, with starter Wyatt Sanford going three innings to pick up the win. Kuppich, Curtiss, Jeb Sanford and Kokesh assisted in relief.

The 22-4 Gobblers take on 15th-ranked Duluth Marshall for the championship 5 p.m. at Superior, Wis. with a second game at 7:30 p.m. if necessary.

First game

Dylan Quade delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Aitkin Gobblers past the Proctor Rails 2-1 in the Section 7-2A loser's bracket Tuesday.

Wyatt Sanford drew a walk to leadoff the ninth and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Jack Kuppich. With two outs, Quade lined a single to center scoring Sanford.

After Proctor took a 1-0 lead in the third, the Gobblers tied the game in the fifth when Jake Westerlund scored on an error.

Jeb Sanford threw the final three innings to earn the win. He struck out three, walked none and allowed two hits. Starter Caleb Curtis went six innings. He struck out six, walked four and allowed five hits-one earned.

Jeb Sanford and Westerlund each finished with a pair of singles for Aitkin and Sam Peterson contributed a double.

Game One

Proctor 1 7 2

Aitkin 2 8 0

WP: Jeb Sanford. LP: John Aase. 2B: A-Sam Peterson; P-Bryce Huffman.

Game Two

Esko

Aitkin 9 12 0

WP: Wyatt Sanford. LP: Ryan Bourgeauh. 2B: A-Caleb Curtiss, Jeb Sanford; E-Brandon Matteen. Overall: A 22-4. Next: Section 7-2A tournament at Superior, Wis.: Aitkin vs. Duluth Marshall Championship game 5 p.m. Thursday; second game, if necessary, 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Pierz 10, Milaca 0

ST. CLOUD-Preston Rocheleau and Matt Kummet combined to throw a no-hitter for the East Subsection's No. 1 Pierz Pioneers, who defeated No. 5 Milaca 10-0 Tuesday in five innings to advance to Thursday's Section 6-2A championship game.

Rocheleau struck out seven and only walked one over 3.2 innings and Kummet didn't allow a runner to reach base the rest of the way.

Rocheleau helped his own cause going 2-3 with a pair of RBIs and scored a run. Matt Tautges was 1-1 with a triple and three runs.

Class 2A's third-ranked Pioneers (22-2) will face No. 2 seed Foley for the 6-2A title 5 p.m. Thursday at Putz Field in St. Cloud with a second game at 7:30 p.m. if necessary.

Foley dropped Pierz into the loser's bracket with a 9-1 win Monday in the winner's bracket. Pierz beat Foley 2-1 April 6 in the second game of the season.

Milaca 0 0 1

Pierz 10 8 0

(5 innings)

WP: Preston Rocheleau. LP: Bryce Haw. 3B: P-Matt Tautges. Overall: P 22-2. Next: Section 6-2A tournament at Putz Field, St. Cloud: Championship game 5 p.m. Thursday; second game, if necessary, 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Sartell 11, Little Falls 7

COLLEGEVILLE-Adam Josephson belted a three-run home run, but it was too little, too late for the No. 3 Little Falls Flyers, who fell 11-7 to No. 4 Sartell Sabres in the Section 8-3A loser's bracket Tuesday.

Class 3A's 12th-ranked Flyers took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, only to see Sartell tally 10 runs over the next three innings.

Austin Weisz went 2-4 with a double and scored a run for the Flyers. Hunter Swanson also doubled, while Joe Alholm and Derek Poser each contributed two hits.

Josephson started on the mound and surrendered six runs on four hits over two innings. Poser threw four innings in relief giving up another eight hits and five runs before AJ Jenks took over for the final inning retiring the side.

The Sabres ripped doubles on eight of their 12 hits. They beat Little Falls 3-0 during the regular season.

Sartell 11 12 1

Little Falls 7 10 2

WP: Chris Belling. LP: Adam Josephson. 2B: LF-Austin Weisz, Hunter Swanson. HR: LF-Josephson. Overall: LF finishes 17-7.