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Braves fall in playoff opener
By DALE KUGATH
Scoop Sports Editor
AUSTIN - The top-seeded Austin Blue Sox jumped to a 7-0 lead after six innings and held off the Waseca Braves 7-4 in the opening round of Section 2B at Austin Aug. 8.
The Braves had the tying run at the plate twice in the final inning but ended up losing to the Blue Sox for the third time this summer. Austin won the previous two meetings 12-2 and 14-4.
Waseca lost its fifth consecutive game in falling to 11-12 for the year and 3-6 on the road.
Austin had no problem solving the slants of southpaw Kelvin Nelson. Austin scored two runs on two hits and three walks in the opening inning, and left the bases loaded.
Craig Selk's RBI double in the second inning stretched the lead to 3-0.
Nelson settled down and hurled three shutout innings before the Blue Sox knocked him out with a four-run sixth frame.
Three straight hits started the inning, including two bunt singles. A sacrifice fly, followed by three more hits, caused manager Tink Larson to summons Jay Watje to the hill.
Watje got out of the inning and threw a scoreless seventh inning.
Trailing 7-0, the Braves got on the scoreboard in the seventh inning. Tom Kordiak got things going with a single and scored on a one-out double by Scott Hanson.
Waseca made it 7-3 with a pair of eighth-inning runs.
Watje and Chris Glynn got things started with walks. Watje scored on Kordiak's infield single and Glynn crossed home plate on an Austin error.
Erik Simmons and Clint Larson opened the ninth inning with bases on balls. Dan Gulbrandson forced Larson at second base but Chris Glynn drove home Simmons with a run-scoring single. However, Nelson flew out to centerfield and Jim Loonan popped out to end the game.
Joe Huffman started for Austin and gave up just one hit over the first three innings. He struck out two Waseca hitters.
Brady Bense was the winning pitcher despite giving up two earned runs and four hits in four innings of work. He walked three and fanned three.
Brad Nelson hurled the eighth inning, allowing one earned run and one hit. He issued five walks.
Kyle Young tossed one scoreless inning, giving up one hit.
The Braves had seven hits and received eight walks in the game.
Kordiak went 3-4 for Waseca, scoring once and adding a RBI.
Hanson and Loonan swatted doubles for the Braves.
Simmons and Chris Glynn chipped in with singles. Glynn and Steve Hovland both walked twice.
The Braves made just one error in the field and stranded eight base runners.
Nelson lost his second game in a row, falling to 8-3 this summer. He was roughed up for 10 hits and seven earned runs in five and one-third innings. Nelson walked four and fanned three.
Watje gave up one hit and struck out one in throwing one and two-third scoreless innings.
Kordiak pitched the final inning, issuing one walk while striking out the side.
Dan Swift paced the Blue Sox with a 3-4 night, driving in three runs.
Selk had two hits, a walk and two RBI for Austin.
Andy Swank and Aaron Port both had a hit and scored twice.
Austin had 11 hits and received five walks. The Blue Sox made one error and left 11 runners stranded.
The Braves travel to Austin to battle the Greyhounds in an elimination game Aug. 11.
The Greyhounds lost a 4-3 decision to the Rochester Royals in the first round. The Braves have defeated Austin 11-7 and 15-14 this summer.
Blue Sox 7, Braves 4
Braves 000 000 121 4 7 1
Austin 210 004 00x 7 11 1
Nelson (5.1), Watje (1.2), Kordiak (1.0) and Loonan; Huffman (3.0), Bense (4.0), Nelson (1.0), Young (1.0) and Kunze, Saratori (4th).
WP-Bense; LP-Nelson (8-3).
HR-None.
NEXT: Aug. 11-Waseca Braves at Austin Greyhounds, 7:30 p.m.
Marshall pounds Braves 18-4
By DALE KUGATH
Scoop Sports Editor
MARSHALL--The Waseca Braves can be thankful they are in a different section this summer.
The Marshall A's completed a three-game sweep against the Braves by teams they were in the section with last season. Marshall, New Ulm and the Mankato Twins outscored Waseca combined to outscore the locals 38-8 in winning all three games.
Marshall completed the slate against last year's section foes by pounding the Braves 18-4 in seven innings at Marshall Aug. 1.
It was the second straight loss by Waseca, which slipped to 11-9 overall. The Braves are 3-3 on the road this summer.
Waseca ace Kelvin Nelson, who had won eight of nine decisions this summer, got just one batter out before being relieved. The A's belted six hits off Nelson to score five runs in the opening inning. A two-run single by Derek West was the key blow.
A two-run double by Derek Rignatti off reliever Erik Simmons in the second inning upped the Marshall lead to 7-0.
Waseca got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Simmons stroked a double and scored on a Chris Glynn two-bagger.
Marshall added single runs in the third and fourth innings to open up a 9-1 advantage.
Five men in a row reached base for the Braves in the fifth inning after the first two hitters had been retired.
Chris Glynn walked, Kelvin Nelson singled and Jim Loonan legged out an infield hit. Blake Nelson delivered a run-scoring single and Steve Hovland followed with a two-run single, pulling the Braves within 9-4.
The first nine batters for Marshall in the fifth inning reached base as the A's sent 15 hitters to the plate to score nine times. Marshall had only four hits in the inning, but Waseca pitchers dished out eight free passes. Rignatti's two-run double was the big blow of the inning.
Simmons allowed the first four batters to reach base, Chris Glynn was roughed up for five runs before Jay Watje final brought an end to the inning.
Waseca did not have a hit over the final two innings,
Tyler Faden earned the win for the A's, allowing seven hits and four earned runs over the first six innings. He walked two, hit a batter and fanned five.
Trevor Anderson faced just three batters in the final inning.
Blake Nelson was the lone Brave to get two hits in the game.
Chris Glynn, Nelson, Loonan, Hovland and Simmons all collected one hit for the Braves. Hovland knocked in two runs.
The Braves made three errors and stranded seven base runners.
Nelson fell to 8-2 with the loss. He gave up six hits and five earned runs in one-third of an inning. Nelson issued one walk.
Simmons hurled three and two-third innings, allowing eight hits and seven earned runs. He walked six and struck out one.
Chris Glynn hurled two-thirds of an inning, giving up two hits and five earned runs. He walked five and struck out one.
Watje went the final one and one-third innings, allowing just one hit and no runs. He recorded one strikeout.
Rignatti was a perfect 4-4 with five RBI for the winners.
West, Fadden, Nate Rapa, Chas Pollacky, and Bryan Nietzel chipped in with two hits apiece. Fadden scored four runs and had three walks to go with his two hits. West drove in four runs.
The A's had 17 hits, committed one error and left 11 runners on the base paths.
Section playoffs began on Aug. 8.
Marshall 18, Braves 4
Braves 001 030 0xx 4 7 3
Marshall 521 190 xxx 18 17 1
Nelson (0.1), Simmons (3.2), C. Glynn (0.2), Watje (1.1) and Loonan; Faden (6.0), Anderson (1.0) and Anderson, Eppenbach (7th).
WP-Fadden; LP-Nelson (8-2).
HR-None.
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