Area Baseball: Pierz 1 win away from state

ST. CLOUD-Matt Tautges smacked a leadoff double in the top of the sixth inning, Aaron Weber singled and Brett Kapsner tripled helping Pierz score two runs and defeat the top-seeded St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders 4-2 in Monday's Section 6-2A winner's bracket game.

Kapsner finished 1-3 with two RBIs. Tautges finished 2-3 with a run and drove in Mike Meyer, who singled in the third inning to give the second seeded and Class 2A's eighth-ranked Pioneers a 2-0 lead. Aaron Weber reached on an error in the second inning and later scored.

Tautges pitched the victory. He struck out nine and allowed two runs, one earned on four hits and no walks.

The defending state champion Crusaders tied the score with a single run in the fourth and fifth inning.

Pierz 4 6 2

Cathedral 2 4 2

WP: Matt Tautges. LP: Cameron Dehler. 2B: Prz-Tautges. 3B: Prz-Mike Meyer, Brett kapsner. Overall: P 20-4. Next: Pierz in championship game at Putz Field, 5 p.m. Thursday; second game, if necessary, 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Milaca 3, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 1

ST. CLOUD-Luke Weniger, Ethan Korfe, Mack Jones and Matt Steege each recorded one hit during the West No. 7 Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale Raiders 3-1 loss to the East No. 4 Milaca in Section 6-2A loser's bracket game Monday.

BH/V concludes the season with an 11-13 record.

Milaca will face St. Cloud Cathedral. The winner of that game will face Pierz and must beat the Pioneers twice to advance to state.

B-H/Verndale 1 4 2

Milaca 3 8 0

WP: Matt Fransen. LP: Ethan Korfe. Overall: BHV 11-13.

1/2: Winning Pierz pitcher Matt Tautges slides safely into home scoring one of the four Pierz runs to defeat the Cathedral Crusaders 4-2 in Section 6-2A baseball at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud Monday night. (Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls)

2/2: Pierz Pioneer Aaron Weber (left) is welcomed into the dugout by Kolton Eischens after scoring one of Pierz’s four runs against St. Cloud Cathedral at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud Monday night. (Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls)