Braves earn division title

FORT RIPLEY - Fort Ripley committed five errors, none more costly than a thrown-away double-play ball in the eighth inning, that allowed the Brainerd Braves to break a 1-1 tie and ultimately defeat the Rebels 6-1 to claim the North Division championship Sunday.

Christian Larson pitched a complete game for the Braves, striking out seven while allowing just one run.

Nate Foss, Ben Kepner and John Riewer all drove in runs and collected two hits for Brainerd.

Ray Austin drove in Fort's lone run with a two-out single in the second that tied the game 1-1.

Brainerd will face Buckman in the Region 8C tournament while the Rebels will play East Division champion Lastrup on Saturday.

Brainerd 6 10 1

Fort Ripley 1 6 5

WP: Christian Larson. LP: Brett Kramer.

Lastrup 3, Buckman 2

LASTRUP - Reggie Litke went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, including the game-winning single in the top of the 10th inning, to help the Lastrup Lakers edge Buckman 3-2 and capture the East Division championship Sunday.

Litke came on in relief of starter Chad Weiss to pick up the win. Weiss tossed eight innings of shutout baseball, striking out 14 Billygoats.

Gary Boros finished 3-5 for Buckman and John Kahl drove in the tying run with a double in the top of the ninth to extend the game into extra innings.

Todd Robinson was the losing pitcher, going 9.1 innings.

Lastrup will face Fort Ripley in the Region 8C tournament Saturday while Buckman will play North Division champ Brainerd.

Buckman 2 9 1

Lastrup 3 7 0

WP: Reggie Litke. LP: Todd Robinson.

Saturday's games

Buckman 1, Pierz Brewers 0

BUCKMAN - Jeremy Monson extended the Buckman Billygoats' season, tossing a four-hit shutout and went 3-for-4 at the plate to edge the Pierz Brewers 1-0 in an East Division elimination game Saturday.

Monson stuck out five and walked one as he out-dueled Pierz pitcher Mike Weber, who also went the distance, scattering 12 hits while striking out five in the loss that ended the Brewers' season.

Gary Boros finished 3-5 for the Billygoats and drove in the game-winning run with a one-out, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth that scored Corey Egan who led off the inning with a double.

Brewers 0 4 0

Buckman 1 12 2

WP: Jeremy Monson. LP: Mike Weber.

Fort Ripley 2, Harding 1

FORT RIPLEY - Josh Haberman went the distance, allowing one run on four hits while fanning seven, as Fort Ripley advanced to the North Division championship game with a 2-1 elimination-game win over Harding Saturday.

Nick Jelacie drove in the Rebels' first run with an infield single that scored Austin Schmolke. But Jim Kramer got the big hit of the game, driving in Rhett Williamson in the bottom of the seventh to give Fort Ripley the lead for good.

Jelacie, Schmolke and Williamson each tallied two hits for the Rebels. Josh Boser drove in the Dinosaurs' lone run with a two-out double in the fifth.

Harding 1 4 1

Fort Ripley 2 11 2

WP: Josh Haberman. LP: Joel Hendrickson .