Brainerd VFW moves on

The Brainerd VFW baseball team escaped the first day of the Subdistrict 6 tournament undefeated by beating Staples 13-1 and Menahga 2-1 Tuesday in Sartell.

With the two wins in the four team double elimination tournament, Brainerd earned a birth in the district tournament.

In the first game at Champion field Brainerd received a stellar pitching performance from Drew Boland. Boland threw four innings of no-hit ball without walking a batter and striking out nine. Mark Germain pitched the fifth allowing one run.

Brainerd collected 15 hits highlighted by Fred Weiss who finished 2-for-2 with a double a home run and five RBI. Chris Klabo was 2-4 while Jason Sather and Germain both collected two hits.

In the second game Brainerd needed eight innings to slide past Menahga 2-1.

Kevin Mertens pitched an impressive six and 1/3 innings before Boland relieved him in the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win for Brainerd.

Mertens allowed five hits, one unearned run. He walked three while striking out 10. Boland struck out two and allowed one hit in relief.

Brainerd opened the scoring in the fourth-inning on a solo home run by Mertens. Menahga answered in the sixth scoring on a one-out double and a Brainerd throwing error.

The game remained tied at 1 until the bottom of the eight when, with one out, Tony Parrish walked and was run for by Zach Docktor. Aaron Jenkins followed with a single to center. Then with runners at first and second Mertens singled to left center to score Docktor with the game winning run.

Staples 000 01 -- 1 1 3

Brainerd 0(10)3 1x -- 13 15 1

Brainerd 000 100 01 -- 2 7 3

Menahga 000 001 00 -- 1 6 0