Brandyn Olsen, shown pitching in a game earlier this year, threw over 11 innings in Blue Earth’s first game of the playoffs against Pine Island.
The Blue Earth Pirates remained alive in the Region 5C baseball playoffs when they defeated the Morristown Morries 8-5 on Sunday, Aug. 3. The Pirates had been defeated the previous evening by the Pine Island Pioneers in the opening round of the playoffs.
Next up for the Pirates is a game against Waseca on Saturday, Aug. 9, at 4 p.m., in Waterville. If the Pirates defeat the Braves, they will immediately take on the winner of the game between Cannon Falls and Veseli for a chance to go to the Minnesota State Tournament.
Blue Earth jumped out to an early lead in their game against Morristown. After scoring one run in the bottom of the first inning, they added six more runs in the bottom of the second to lead 7-0 after two complete innings.
Parker Meyers got the Pirates on the board in their opening at bat. With one out Meyers walked on four straight pitches. He then advanced to second base on a passed ball and scored on a line drive single to center field by Brandyn Olsen.
Logan O’Hara walked to start Blue Earth’s half of the second inning. Following an infield pop up, Kaylan Legred laced a ball to right field for a double with O’Hara checking in at third base. Morristown recorded a strikeout for the second out of the inning but they were unable to bring the inning to a close before the Pirates scored six runs.
A passed ball allowed O’Hara to score from third base while Legred remained at second base. Meyers was hit by a pitch and Olsen walked to load the bases. The Pirates’ next batter, Hunter Bleess, hit a line-drive triple to right field that drove in all three base runners and gave Blue Earth a 5-0 lead. A single by Kane Malo drove in Legred with the Pirates’ sixth run of the game.
Malo proceeded to steal second base and then scored on a single by Lee Hodges for Blue Earth’s seventh run of the contest.
After being held scoreless in the first two innings, the Morries tallied two runs in the top of the third inning to cut the Pirates’ lead to 7-2. Morristown added three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull within two runs of Blue Earth at 7-5.
The Pirates added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Logan Jahnke was hit by a pitch, advanced to second base on a passed ball and scored on a single by Zac Schonrock.
Blue Earth ended the game with eight runs on 11 hits. They committed one error. Morristown had five runs on nine hits and did not make an error.
Malo, Hodges and Legred each had two hits for the Pirates and Bleess led the team with three runs batted in.
Hodges picked up the win after starting on the mound and hurling five complete innings. The right hander gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits while walking one batter and striking out six.
Cody Sukalski pitched the final three innings and gave up three earned runs on four hits. He walked two batters and struck out five.
Pine Island 5,
Blue Earth 3
12 innings
The Pine Island Pioneers scored two runs in the top of the 12th inning to break a 3-3 tie and defeat the Blue Earth Pirates 5-3 in the opening round of the Region 5C baseball playoffs.
After neither team scored in the first three innings, the Pioneers put two runs on the board in the top of the fourth inning.
The Pirates cut their opponents lead in half when they plated one run in the bottom of the fourth.
Kane Malo reached on a dropped third strike and went to second on a single by Lee Hodges. A single by Logan O’Hara brought Malo home with Blue Earth’s first run.
Neither team was able to score for the next three innings but the Pioneers added another run in the top of the eighth inning to take a 3-1 lead.
The first two Pirates’ batters struck out to open the bottom of the eighth inning before Malo reached first base on a single. A double by Hodges brought home Malo and reduced the Pioneers’ lead to 3-2.
Trailing by one run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Blue Earth had a runner on first with one out when Parker Meyers doubled to right field. Talan Priester, who had reached first base on a fielder’s choice, beat the throw home to tie the game at 3-3.
The Pirates then proceeded to load the bases but the Pioneers recorded the last two outs without allowing another run to send the game into extra innings.
Neither team scored in the 10th or 11th inning but Pine Island used three singles and an error to score twice in the top of the 12th inning before holding Blue Earth scoreless in the bottom of the inning to earn the win.
The Pirates had three runs on 14 hits while committing three errors. The Pioneers scored five runs off 15 hits. They were charged with two errors.
Meyers, Hodges and O’Hara each had three hits for Blue Earth. Hodges had two doubles and Meyers had one.
Brandyn Olsen started for the Pirates and threw 11 and two thirds innings. He gave up five runs, four earned, on 15 hits. He walked four batters and had 15 strikeouts.
Logan Jahnke pitched one third of an inning and struck out the only batter he faced.
Other Region 5C Results
Two other area teams also competed in the Region 5C Tournament. They were Wells and Minnesota Lake.
Wells played Veseli in a best two out of three play-in series and was defeated in two games, 14-3 and 14-1, which ended the season for the Wildcats.
No. 5-seeded Minnesota Lake was defeated by No. 4-seeded Waseca 2-1 in first-round action. The Royals were then knocked out of the tournament when they lost to Veseli 12-8.