Braves close regular season with 11-0 loss to Blue Earth

Amidst the sweltering heat of a summertime Sunday afternoon, the Waseca Braves took the field to close out the regular season at home against the Blue Earth Pirates. The bats for Waseca were kept relatively quiet on the day while the Pirates hit for power from the opening inning, allowing them to defeat the Braves 11-0 in seven innings.

Buoyed by a long ball in the top of the first inning, the Pirates put a six spot on the scoreboard to immediately put Waseca on its back foot from the word go. The Braves responded with back-to-back hits in the bottom of the first inning as Tyson Reger and Griffin Krautkremer hit singles to shortstop and up the middle respectively, but a successful pickoff, ground out and pop out foul resulted left a pair of runners stranded on base.

In the top of the third inning, Blue Earth crushed a three-run homer over the left field fence to add to their lead and another homerun in the top of the fifth, this a two-run blast to dead centerfield, pushed the Pirate lead to 11-0.

In the top of the sixth inning, Jason Reger took the mound in relief for the Braves and he pitched two scoreless innings for Waseca and with two out in the bottom of the seventh, Tink Larson stepped to the plate for the Braves. Larson made great contact on a pitch, ripping it straight to the third baseman who was able to make the throw to first to get the out, bringing the 2024 regular season to a close.

Waseca will begin postseason play Wednesday, at 7:30 p.m. when the team hosts Lake Crystal in the opening round of the single-elimination playoffs.