×
×
homepage logo

Pirates win final regular season game

Will face the Wells Wildcats in opening round of league playoffs

By Kevin Mertens - Staff Writer | Jul 21, 2024

The Blue Earth Pirates’ Brandyn Olsen created some dust when he scored against Eagle Lake in a game played in Blue Earth earlier in July. The Pirates closed out their regular season by winning two of their final three games. Their 11-0 win against Waseca on July 14 earned the Pirates the No. 2 seed in their side of the 13/60 League playoff bracket. Blue Earth was scheduled to play in Wells against the Wildcats on July 20. The Pirates will also be in action on Sunday, July 21, at a site to be determined after Saturday’s games.

The Blue Earth Pirates wrapped up their regular season with three games in five days, defeating Cleveland and Waseca while dropping a game against Minnesota Lake.

The 13/60 League playoffs began on Saturday, July 20, with the second-seeded Pirates playing the No. 3-seeded Wells Wildcats in Wells. Although the game was originally set to be played in Blue Earth, the contest was moved to Wells because of the expected large turnout for the races at the Golden Spike Speedway in Blue Earth that day.

Four teams out of the eight-team 13/60 tournament will advance to the Region 6C tournament against four teams from the River Valley League. Four of the eight teams from the Region 6C tournament advance to the State Tournament this year instead of the three teams that normally move on to State.

Following is a wrap-up of the Pirates’ last three regular season games.

Blue Earth 11, Waseca 0

The Pirates entered their final regular game of the season against the Waseca Braves on July 14 needing a win to clinch the second seed in their side of the league playoff bracket, and they got it.

Behind solid pitching performances by Lee Hodges and Taylor Davids, Blue Earth held Waseca scoreless while putting 11 runs on the board to defeat the Braves 11-0 in seven innings.

Hodges earned the win after hurling five scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked one batter and struck out four.

Davids pitched the last two innings. He did not allow a hit or a walk and had four strikeouts.

The Pirates scored all of the runs they would need in the top of the first inning when they pushed six runs across the plate.

Cody Sukalski led off with a single to center field. Hunter Bleess reached by an error on a ground ball hit to the third baseman with Sukalski moving to third base.

Brandyn Olsen’s home run to left field cleared the bases and put Blue Earth on top 3-0.

The Braves recorded two outs before Parker Meyers was hit by a pitch to keep the inning going.

Nick Barke’s line drive single to center field allowed Meyers to check in at third base. Kaylan Legred’s single to left drove in Meyers and moved Barke to second base.

Brayden Barnett’s double to center field allowed Barke to score easily and the speedy Legred was able to beat the throw to the plate for Blue Earth’s sixth run of the inning.

Kane Malo’s three-run home run in the top of the third inning made the score 9-0 and Olsen’s second homer of the game, a two-run shot in the fifth inning, gave Blue Earth their final two runs.

Olsen finished the game going 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs and five runs batted in. Malo drove in three runs while going 1-for-4, Barnett was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in, Sukalski was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Barke was 2-for-3 with one run scored.

Minnesota Lake 12,

Blue Earth 5

The Minnesota Lake Royals jumped out to a 7-1 lead after the first inning and went on to defeat the Blue Earth Pirates 12-5 in a game played at Minnesota Lake on Thursday, July 11.

The Royals outhit the Pirates by a 16-12 margin while Blue Earth was also charged with four errors compared to two for Minnesota Lake.

Brandyn Olsen had two hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs for the Pirates.

Hunter Bleess, Lee Hodges and Kaylan Legred also had two-hit games for Blue Earth.

Ryan Veriede started on the mound for the Pirates and took the loss. Kade Hobbs and Parker Eichenberger pitched in relief during the contest.

Blue Earth 13,

Cleveland 2

Kaylan Legred collected three hits in four at-bats and the Blue Earth Pirates defeated the Cleveland Spiders 13-2 in seven innings on Wednesday, July 10, in Cleveland.

Blue Earth scored four runs in the top of the first inning, one run in the second, two runs in the fourth, one run in the fifth and five runs in the seventh inning to account for their 13 runs.

The Pirates outhit the Spiders 12-6. Blue Earth did not commit an error while Cleveland had two miscues.

Hunter Bleess, Kane Malo, Zach Schonrock and Tanner Nawrocki each drove in two runs for the Pirates.

Logan Jahnke pitched four scoreless innings to earn the win. He gave up three hits, walked four batters and had four strikeouts.

Parker Eichenberger took the mound for one and two thirds innings and was charged with two earned runs on two hits. He walked four batters and struck out three.

Kade Hobbs got the final four outs of the game. He surrendered one hit and struck out three batters.