CROSBY-The Cuyuna Range Miners outlasted the St. Mathias Devils 16-14 Sunday in a North Division play-in game that set the final seedings for the Victory League Division playoffs.
The win gave the 4-10 Miners the No. 4 seed in the North Division while the Devils saw their season end with a 3-11 record.
Cuyuna Range scored early and often behind winning pitcher Jamie Stall, building a 15-4 lead after five innings. St. Mathias rallied and scored its final seven runs in the ninth before Dillon Solid was able to retire the Devils and earn a save.
Jake Zontelli's double for the Miners was the only extra-base hit of the game. Zontelli finished 3-4 and CJ Wohl was 3-6.
Josh Boser finished 3-6 for St. Mathias and Nate Eschenbacher had two hits.
ADVERTISEMENT
Playoffs start Saturday
Playoffs in the double elimination division tournaments start Saturday at the high seed. All games start at 1:30 p.m. Winners' and losers' bracket games will continue 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the high seeds.
North Division: No. 4 Cuyuna Range (4-10) at No. 1 Fort Ripley (12-1); No. 3 Aitkin (5-8) at No. 2 Nisswa (11-2).
East Division: No. 4 Royalton (3-10) at No. 1 Lastrup (11-2); No. 3 Pierz
Brewers (6-7) at No. 2 Buckman (11-2).
West Division: No. 4 Randall (5-8) at No. 1 Sobieski (11-2); No. 3 Flensburg (5-8) at No. 2 Upsala (10-3).
South Division: No. 4 Freeport (3-10) at No. 1 Avon (10-3); No. 3 St. Stephen (8-5) at No. 2 St. Wendel (8-5).
ADVERTISEMENT
The top two teams from each division playoff will advance to the Region 8C Tournament July 30.
St. Mathias 14 10 5
Cuyuna Range 16 11 7
WP: Jamie Stall. LP: Connor Knettel. 2B: CR-Jake Zontelli. Overall: CR 4-10, SM 3-11. Next: No. 4 Cuyuna Range at No. 1 Fort Ripley 1:30 p.m. Saturday in North Division playoffs.
Sobieski 4, Lastrup 3
LASTRUP - Paul Herman went 3-5 with an RBI and Reese Kapsner collected his first career Victory League hit for the Lastrup Lakers in a 4-3 loss to the West Division-leading Sobieski Skis Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Brandon Lochner had two hits for the Lakers who finished the regular season on top of the East Division.
Sobieski 4 8 1
Lastrup 3 8 2
WP: Josh Wenzel. LP: Jamie Litke. 2B: S-Joey Hanowski. HR: S-Collin Eckman. Overall: L 11-2. Next: No. 1 Lastrup hosts No. 4 Royalton 1:30 p.m. Saturday in East Division playoffs.
Royalton 5, Bulldogs 4
ROYALTON - Royalton's Michael Petron capitalized on his speed to score the winning run in the bottom of the 11th that gave the Riverdogs a 5-4 win over the Pierz Bulldogs Saturday securing the fourth and final seed in the East Division playoffs.
Petron beat out a one-out bunt and scampered all the way to third on Steve Hoff's single to right. When the throw to third trying to nail him was off-target, Petron raced home with the winning run.
Aaron Schultz went 3-5 and Andy Leidenfrost had two hits for the Bulldogs who finish 1-12 and out of the playoffs.
Bulldogs 4 11 4
Royalton 5 8 4
WP:Hunter Young. LP: Brian Kiel. 2B: R-Nate Psyck. Overall: Bulldogs
finish 1-12.
Buckman 9, Brewers 0
PIERZ - The Buckman Billygoats were awarded a 9-0 forfeit win Sunday per league rules when the Pierz Brewers were unable to field a complete team for the final regular-season game for both teams.
Overall: B 11-2, P 6-7. Next: No. 3 Pierz Brewers at No. 2 Lastrup 1:30 p.m. Sunday in East Division opening round.
Nisswa 16, Aitkin 5
NISSWA - The Nisswa Lightning tallied 18 hits, including doubles by four different players, as they completed regular-season play with a seven-inning 16-5 victory over the first-year Aitkin Steam Friday.
Aaron Jenkins finished 3-4 with a double and Matt Casperson was 3-3 with a double and three RBIs for the Lightning. Nate DeChaine doubled while going 3-6 and Tory Miller also contributed a double. Tyler Wittwer was 4-5 with a pair of RBIs and Drew Sannes was 2-3 with three RBIs.
Aitkin scored all of its runs in the fifth capped off by Brian Burman's grand slam. Burman and Dean Lynn each finished 2-3.
Aitkin 5 8 0
Nisswa 16 18 1
(7 innings)
WP: Scott Sand. LP: AJ Hartshorn. 2B: N-Tory Miller, Aaron Jenkins, Nate
DeChaine, Matt Casperson. HR: A-Brian Burman. Overall: N 11-2, A 5-8.
Next: No. 3 Aitkin at No. 2 Nisswa 1:30 p.m. Saturday in North Division
opening round.
