After Waseca defeated Lake Crystal in the play-in round, the matchup was set in the 13-60 playoffs between the Braves and top seeded Waterville Saturday afternoon. Five innings of scoreless ball eventually gave way to a torrent of runs which saw the hard-hitting Indians pull away to earn a 9-4 victory.
The pitching battle between starters Dalton Grose of Waterville and Tyson Reger of Waseca was nothing short of dominant through the first five innings with just four combined hits spread throughout the early action, but in the top of the sixth, the Braves managed to break through. After a leadoff strikeout, Reger lifted a single into left field followed by back-to-back bunt singles from Griffin Krautkremer and Kelvin Nelson that loaded the bases as the Braves stress tested the defense of the Indians.
Jimmy Loonan put a ball in play down the third-base line that wasn't handled, allowing the first run of the game to score followed by a sacrifice fly RBI from Payton Garza, putting Waseca up 2-0. Waterville immediately responded in the bottom of the sixth inning when Bladyn Bartelt raked a leadoff double into left field that was followed by an outfield error that put a second runner on the bags.
Luke Sellner then barreled up a ball and crushed a ball oppo to right and off of one of the pleated flags on the fence for an RBI double. A missed cutoff throw allowed a second run to score on the play, tying the game 2-2. Waterville then claimed its first lead of the day with a sac fly RBI off the bat of Jacob Androli.
After a 1-2-3 inning from Waseca at the plate, the Indians returned to work on offense with a leadoff hit by pitch and bunt single. One run scored on a fielders' choice to third and after a stolen base and walk, Josh Cook loaded the bases with a single to center field.
Sellner continued his monster afternoon with another double off the fences, this time in left field, that scored two runs and two more runs came home on an error after Boran put a ball into left field. Nolan Grose capped off the big inning with a two-run double, putting the Indians ahead 9-2.
In the top of the eighth inning, Waseca began to put together a rally with leadoff walk from Reger followed by a two-run homer off the bat of Krautkremer that was blasted over the right field fence. The Indians responded by having Sellner relieve Grose and he forced back-to-back groundouts to get out of the inning.
Jason Reger entered the game for the Braves to pitch the eighth and after a leadoff walk, he forced the next three outs to send the game to the ninth. A leadoff infield single from Ryan Hanson in the top of the ninth was followed by Kyle Waugh single to left field, keeping the hopes alive for Waseca.
After a strikeout for the first out, Ryan Wangen pinch hit for the Braves and ripped a single into right field, however some confusion on the basepaths resulted in a rundown that saw Waterville tag out both lead runners for the game-ending double play.
With the victory, Waterville earned a birth in the winning bracket semifinals against Minnesota Lake Sunday, and after a first-inning grand slam from Grose and a five-run eighth inning, the Indians secured their spot in the 13/60 championship game against Blue Earth which will be played in Waterville Saturday, July 27, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
For Waseca, the loss dropped them into the consolation bracket with them facing North Mankato Sunday. After a rain delay, the Braves managed to keep their season alive with a thrilling three and a half hour long battle which saw them come out on top 14-12.
Waseca will return to action Saturday, July 27, to face Eagle Lake for the right to earn a place in the 13/60 third-place game between Wells and Minnesota Lake. The game will begin at 2 p.m. at Eagle Lake.
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