Brainerd knocks off top-seeded Fort Ripley 6-2

FORT RIPLEY - Brandon Wolf drilled a two-run single in the third inning to give the Brainerd Braves a lead they would not rescind as they knocked off top-seeded Fort Ripley in a winners bracket game in the North Division playoffs Sunday.

John Riewer tossed a complete game for the Braves scattering nine hits over nine innings while striking out five.

Jamie Ladouceur tallied three hits and scored two runs for Brainerd while Andy Hess and Derek Owen drove in the team's other two runs.

The Rebels were led by Austin Schmolke who collected three hits and Nick Jelacie who bombed two doubles but the Fort Ripley bats could not put together a consistent offensive rally against the crafty Riewer.

Fort Ripley will host Harding next Saturday in an elimination game with the winner advancing to face the Braves who will need to be beaten twice to be eliminated.

Brainerd 6 8 2

Fort Ripley 2 9 2

WP: John Riewer. LP: Brett Kramer.

Harding 1, Cuyuna Range 0

HARDING - Dean Rocheleau drove in Curt Caughey with a two-out double in the bottom of the first for the only run in the Harding Dinosaurs 1-0 victory over the Cuyuna Range Miners Sunday in the North Division elimination game.

Caughey finished 2-5 with a run. Dan Rocheleau went 2-5 with a double and Steve Athman had two hits for Harding.

Joel Hendrickson struck out five and walked one for the complete game win.

John Hoge, Jason Hite and Mac Jones each had two hits for Cuyuna.

Cuyuna Range 0 6 0

Harding 1 11 1

WP: Joel Hendrickson. LP: Steve Exsted.

Saturday's games

Brainerd 6, Harding 5

ST. MATHIAS - Chris Klabo's two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Brainerd Braves into the winners bracket of the North Division playoffs as Brainerd knocked off Harding 6-5 Saturday.

Harding's Curt Caughey hit a two-run home run to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the ninth. He finished 4-for-5 with two runs. Dan Rocheleau, who was tagged with the loss, went 2-5 with a run at the plate and Matt Woitalla went 2-4 with a run for Harding.

Brainerd's Nate Foss went 2-4 with a solo home run, two RBIs and two runs. Klabo finished 2-2 with two runs. Ben Kepner went 3-3 with a run, two RBIs and a stolen base and John Riewer finished 2-4 with a run.

Tony Whitlock pitched the complete-game victory. He struck out six and walked two.

Harding 5 11 1

Brainerd 6 12 1

WP: Tony Whitlock. LP: Dan Rocheleau.

Fort Ripley 5, Cuyuna Range 0

FORT RIPLEY - Josh Haberman and Andy Waletzko combined for a six-hit shutout leading the top-seeded Fort Ripley Rebels to a 5-0 victory over Cuyuna Range Saturday in the opening-round of the North Division playoffs.

Haberman struck out nine and walked two.

Brett Kramer finished 3-4 with a triple and two runs. Ray Austin went 2-3 with a run for Fort Ripley. Rhett Williamson drove in two runs and Waletzko went 1-1 with an RBI. Curt Veith finished 1-2 with an RBI, sacrifice and a run.

Cuyuna's Lance Herbst finished 2-4 with a double and Reed Olander hit a double.

Cuyuna Range 0 6 1

Fort Ripley 5 10 2

WP: Josh Haberman. LP: James Freese. S: Andy Waletzko.

East Division

Lastrup 3, Brewers 0

LASTRUP - Chad Weiss struck out 13, walked three and allowed four hits in a complete-game shutout to lead the top-seeded Lastrup Lakers past third-seeded Pierz Brewers 3-0 in the second round of the East Division playoffs Sunday.

Lastrup scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the fifth on RBI singles by Reggie Litke and Dave Woitalla and a wild pitch.

Pierz 0 4 1

Lastrup 3 3 0

WP: Chad Weiss. LP: Anthony Turk.

Buckman 5, Bulldogs 1

BUCKMAN - Todd Robinson went the distance striking out 10 while finishing 2-for-3 with a two-run double that put the Buckman Billygoats ahead for good as they eliminated the Pierz Bulldogs from the East Division playoffs 5-1 Sunday.

Jeremy Monson picked up a pair of hits for Buckman in addition to scoring and driving in a run.

Ben Watercott drove in the lone run for the Bulldogs with a fourth inning single that gave Pierz a 1-0 lead.

Buckman will host the Pierz Brewers in an East Division elimination game Saturday.

Bulldogs 1 5 0

Buckman 5 6 0

WP: Todd Robinson. LP: Zach Pohlkamp.

Saturday's games

Lastrup 11, Pierz Bulldogs 5

LASTRUP - The Lastrup Lakers scored three in the first and five in the second en route to an 11-5 victory over the Pierz Bulldogs in the opening round of the East Division playoffs Saturday.

Nathan Janson went 2-2 with three runs, a triple and an RBI. Scott Janson finished 1-3 with two runs a stolen base and a walk.

Chad Weiss finished 2-3 with three runs, a home run, two RBIs and two stolen bases.

Brett Barrett added a hit and an RBI, Shawn Fischer had a two-run double and Dustin Schmaltz drove in two runs for the Lakers.

Jeff Riley went 3-5 with a home run and three RBIs for Pierz. Ben Watercott went 2-5 with a double. Chad Herman had two hits. Preston Loidolt finished 2-4 with a home run and Tony Brynarski added two runs scored.

Pierz 5 12 3

Lastrup 11 10 1

WP: Reggie Litke. LP: Paul Herman. S: Rick Sczublewski.

Brewers 3, Billygoats 2

BUCKMAN - Mike Pohlkamp struck out three, walked five and allowed two runs on nine hits to help the third-seeded Pierz Brewers upset the second-seeded Buckman Billygoats 3-2 Saturday in the opening-round of the East Division playoffs.

Pohlkamp helped himself by going 2-for-5 at the plate. Breck Weber went 2-5 while Eric Boser finished 3-5 with two RBIs and Chuck Boser drove in a run.

Jeremy Monson was tagged with the loss, but finished 2-3 with a double and an RBI at the plate. Gary Boros added a hit and Todd Robinson finished 2-3.

Pierz Brewers 3 10 0

Buckman 2 9 3

WP: Mike Pohlkamp. LP: Jeremy Monson.