The top-seeded Cannon Falls Bomber baseball team (16-5) shut out the No. 8 Waseca Bluejays (8-13) 4-0 at John Burch Park Tuesday evening, May 26, in the Section 2AA playoffs behind a lights out pitching performance by senior Ryan Hjellming. Cannon Falls received a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed.
The Bombers will now host the No. 4 Randolph Rockets (17-5) at John Burch Park on Thursday, May 28, in the quarterfinals. It will be a rematch of when the two teams played in Cannon Falls on Saturday, May 9, which the Rockets won 5-3. Randolph defeated the No. 5 Sibley East Wolverines (14-8) 12-2 in Randolph Tuesday.
Ryan Hjellming gives a yell and a flex to the Bomber dugout after getting out of a jam in the top of the sixth inning. Hjellming was lights out against Waseca, pitching a complete-game, 1-hit shutout with an incredible 17 strikeouts. Alec Hamilton / Cannon Falls Beacon
The winner between the Bombers and Rockets advances to the winner’s bracket semifinal on Saturday, May 30, at William J. Grose Park in Waterville. The loser drops to the consolation bracket and also plays in Waterville Saturday. The consolation semifinal and final are Tuesday, June 2, in Waterville and the Section 2AA championship game(s) is also in Waterville on Thursday, June 4.
Hjellming put the Bluejays immediately on notice to start Tuesday evening’s game by striking out the first six batters he faced – four looking and two swinging. The Bombers then scored one run in the bottom of the second when Grady Meyers singled and went to second on a bunt by Abram Tennessen. Meyers went to third on a Bluejay throwing error while Tennessen went to second and then Meyers scored on another Waseca error.
The score stayed 1-0 Cannon Falls until the bottom of the sixth. During that time, Waseca managed just four baserunners. In the bottom of the sixth, Grady Meyers doubled, Tennessen reached on his second bunt single of the game and then Meyers scored on an RBI-single from Cole Rapp. Trey Schoenfelder, running for Tennessen, and Rapp later scored on a Waseca error in the outfield.
Hjellming got the win in a complete-game (7 inning), 1-hit shutout where he walked two batters and struck out 17 hitters. Grady Meyers and Tennessen both had two hits apiece while Nelson drove in two runs and Rapp one. Grady Meyers also scored twice.