ST. MICHAEL-Junior right-hander McCale Peterson fired a 1-hit complete game and drove in two runs as the No. 5-seeded Brainerd Warriors startled No. 1 St. Michael-Albertville 3-0 in a Section 8-4A winners bracket game Thursday.
Peterson struck out seven and walked three. The only hit he surrendered was a first-inning single by catcher Jack Kelly. After walking the leadoff batter in the fifth, Peterson retired the last nine Knights in order.
STMA, ranked fifth in Class 4A, beat Brainerd 5-2 during the regular season. The Knights (20-1) had won eight straight before Thursday's defeat. Their only regular-season loss was 6-5 to Rogers May 9.
The victory moves Brainerd into the winner's bracket at second-seeded Maple Grove at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Brainerd's Colin Kleffman was the only player on either team with two hits. He also scored a run.
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The Warriors scored in the fourth on a double by Bryce Flanagan and RBI single by Max Boran.
Brainerd tallied twice in the fifth. Mac Brink walked and Kleffman singled. Peterson scored both when the Knights' second baseman and right fielder collided while trying to retrieve his single.
Knights' pitchers Will Anderson and Marcus Krupke combined to limit Brainerd to five hits.
Brainerd 000 120 0-3 5 0
St. Michael 000 000 0-0 1 1
WP: McCale Peterson. LP: Will Anderson. 2B: B-Bryce Flanagan. Overall: B 14-8. Next: No. 5 Brainerd at No. 2 Maple Grove in Section 8-4A winners bracket 3 p.m. Saturday.
