Pirates defeat Wildcats and Expos
Will battle Waterville Indians for 13/60 League Championship

The Pirates’ Kane Malo reaches third base safely with a head-first slide in Blue Earth’s game against the Wells Wildcats. The Pirates defeated the Wildcats 11-10 in extra innings last Saturday, July 20.
The Blue Earth Pirates secured a spot in the Region 6C Baseball Tournament with victories over the Wells Wildcats and the Eagle Lake Expos during the weekend of July 20-21.
Before advancing to the Region 6C Tournament, Blue Earth was scheduled to take on the Waterville Indians on July 27. The winner of that game will earn the 13/60 League championship and a No. 1-seed in the Region 6C Tournament while the loser will be a No. 2-seed.
Blue Earth 12, Eagle Lake 7
The Pirates rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Expos 12-7 in a game played at Eagle Lake on Sunday, July 21.
Eagle Lake touched Blue Earth starting pitcher Lee Hodges for two runs in both the second and third innings to take a 4-0 lead after three complete innings.
Brandyn Olsen hit into a ground out to begin the top of the fourth inning for the Pirates before Kane Malo hit a line drive single. A double by Hodges gave Blue Earth two runners in scoring position.
Parker Meyers reached on a fielder’s choice to the second baseman. Malo scored on the play and Hodges advanced to third base.
The Expos recorded the second out of the inning on a pop out.
With Kaylan Legred batting, Meyers stole second base. A single by Legred scored Hodges with the Pirates’ second run of the inning and allowed Meyers to move up to third base.
An error on Eagle Lake’s second baseman on Legred’s steal of second base brought Meyers home and cut the Expos’ lead to 4-3.
Cody Sukalski relieved Hodges on the mound in the bottom of the fourth inning and gave up one run to make the score 5-3 in favor of Eagle Lake.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Blue Earth tallied three more runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Malo led off the inning with a double and scored on a line drive single by Hodges. Meyers followed with a single to right field to put runners on first and second base.
An error by the Expos on a ground ball by Tanner Nawrocki allowed Hodges to score, Meyers to move to third base and Nawrocki to gain second base. Following a pop out, Meyers scored on a ground ball to the second baseman to give the Pirates their first lead of the day at 6-5. Blue Earth’s lead did not last long. Eagle Lake scored once in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 6-6.
The Pirates regained the lead when they erupted for six runs in the top of the eighth inning.
Meyers reached on an error, Nawrocki walked and Legred singled to load the bases. A single by Braydon Barnett scored Meyers to put Blue Earth on top 7-6. Hunter Bleess reached on an error which allowed Nawrocki and Legred to score and Barnett to reach third base.
A single by Brandyn Olsen plated Barnett with the Pirates’ 10th run of the contest and moved Bleess to second base. A walk to Hodges loaded the bases and a single by Meyers drove in Bleess and Olsen to increase Blue Earth’s lead to 12-6.
Eagle Lake scored once in the bottom of the ninth inning to make the final score 12-7.
Eagle Lake outhit Blue Earth by a 14-12 margin. The Expos had four errors compared to two for the Pirates.
Malo, Hodges, Meyers, Legred and Barnett each had two hits for the winning team. Meyers drove in three runs while Bleess and Barnett each drove in two.
Sukalski picked up the win in relief after pitching the final six innings of the game. He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits. He walked one batter and did not have any strikeouts.
Blue Earth 11, Wells 10
(extra innings)
Blue Earth’s Nick Barke delivered a single in the bottom of the 10th inning to drive in Kane Malo with the winning run in a 11-10 triumph over the Wells Wildcats on Saturday, July 20.
The Pirates held a 9-4 lead through seven innings but the Wildcats scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning and added two more runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 10-9 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.
Needing one run to keep the game going, Parker Meyers and Barke each walked to start the ninth inning, A sacrifice bunt by Tanner Nawrocki moved the runners to second and third base. After Kaylan Legred was hit by a pitch, Braydon Barnett singled to drive in Meyers and tie the game at 10-10.
Barke’s game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning was set up when Kane Malo and Lee Hodges singled and Parker Meyers walked to fill the bases. With the infield drawn in to prevent a run, Barke hit a hard grounder through the infield to end the game.
Logan Jahnke earned the win after pitching the final two innings and not allowing a run.