BLUE EARTH — The Blue Earth Area Bucs baseball team improved to 2-0 on the season on the heels of a run-rule triumph on Saturday at the fairgrounds diamond in Blue Earth.

Leadoff batter Caelan Sanders generated three hits and scored two runs, Koby Nagel doubled twice and collected three RBIs, while Luke Carr added a two-run single and a sacrifice fly to power Blue Earth Area to a 15-5, five-inning non-league victory over the Martin County West Mavericks.

Tied at 3-all, the Bucs sent 13 to the batter’s box to erupt for eight runs in the bottom of the third inning before tallying four more in the fifth to earn an early exit from the ballpark.

The Mavericks, however, grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning by manufacturing two runs on only one hit.

Payton Anderson, who went 2-for-2 with a walk, legged out an infield hit before wheeling to third base on back-to-back BEA errors.

Zac Spear drew a walk with one out to load the bases for MCW before Jaxson Rohman and Blake Jagodzinske netted one RBI apiece via being hit by a pitch and drawing a bases-loaded walk, respectively.

Sanders answered for the Bucs in the home half of the first inning by singling, stealing second base, moving to third on Brayden Barnett’s groundout and crossing the plate on Karson Legred’s RBI groundout.

Anderson then scored his second run of the game by drawing a one-out walk in the second inning, moved to second when Karson Janssen was plunked and crossed the plate on Wyatt Geistfeld’s RBI groundout.

Trailing 3-1, the Bucs countered with two runs in the home half of the second. Gavin Storbeck drew a one-out walk, took second on Keagan O’Brien’s single and advanced 90 more feet when Luke Mertens was hit by a pitch. Storbeck scored on Carr’s sacrifice fly before O’Brien crossed the plate on Sanders’ RBI single.

Sanders, who stepped to the mound in relief in the second, pitched a 1-2-3 top of the third before Legred triggered the Bucs’ ensuing eight-run outburst.

Legred doubled, Hunter Bleess reached on an error and Nagel smacked an RBI double. O’Brien was hit by a pitch, Mertens walked and Carr lined a two-run single. Legred later added a bases-loaded walk and Nagel hammered a two-run double to build an 11-3 lead.

Geistfeld and Spear each singled and scored on Derek Dunlop’s RBI groundout and a Buc error, respectively, during MCW’s fifth at-bat before BEA answered with four runs in the home half.

Sanders and Barnett delivered back-to-back singles for the Bucs before scoring on a throwing error and a wild pitch, respectively. Bleess was hit by a pitch, Storbeck later walked and Anders Fering ended the game on the strength of his two-run double down the right-field line.

Sanders allowed one hit in 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to net the win for BEA. He struck out three and did not issue a walk.

MCW starting pitcher Todd Morrow allowed nine runs on six hits in two-plus innings to take the loss. Morrow walked two and hit two batters.

Blue Earth Area (2-0) travels to New Ulm on Tuesday for a Big South Conference game, while Martin County West (0-2) travels to Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato on Tuesday to face Mankato Loyola.

MCW 210 02 — 5 4 4

BEA 128 04 — 15 11 3

Winning run scored with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Todd Morrow (LP), Wyatt Geistfeld (3), Jaxson Rohman (5) and Zac Spear. Gavin Storbeck, Caelan Sanders (2, WP), Hunter Bleess (5) and Karson Legred.

LOB–MCW 6; BEA 5. 2B–Koby Nagel (BEA) 2, Legred (BEA), Anders Fering (BEA). SF–Luke Carr (BEA).

•

Prep Softball

Martin County West 5-5, Jackson County Central 4-14 — The visiting Mavericks posted a 5-4, eight-inning win in Game 1 before the hometown Huskies pounded out a 14-5 victory in Game 2 of Saturday’s non-league doubleheader in Jackson.

Tied at 4-all, MCW’s Emily Dunlop was hit by a pitch, advanced a base on Morgen Nelsen’s sacrifice bunt and scored all the way from second on Madison Klima’s RBI infield hit with two out in the bottom of the eighth of the opener.

Klima collected three hits and two RBIs for the Mavericks, Karlee Thiesse drove in one run with a single, while Shaylynn Anderson added a hit.

Abagail Turner and Keylee Rossow each doubled to top JCC in Game 1.

MCW starting pitcher Alyssa Williamson allowed four runs on five hits, struck out two and walked six in eight innings of work to earn the complete-game win.

JCC’s Blaney Johnson gave up five runs on five hits, fanned seven, walked two and hit one batter in 7 2/3 innings to absorb the loss.

Johnson pounded out four hits, including a double, while Rossow and Mady Hamlett each produced three hits each to pace the Huskies’ 17-hit effort in their Game 2 triumph.

Hannah Olson collected two hits and one RBI to top the Mavericks, Thiesse tripled home two runs, while Dunlop supplied two hits.

Ashley Heinrichs allowed five runs in five innings pitched to net the win for JCC. Heinrichs struck out six, walked five and hit one batter. Johnson struck out two, walked two and hit one batter in two shutout innings of relief.

Anderson gave up 14 runs on 17 hits, struck out three and walked five in six innings of work to take the loss for MCW.

Martin County West (1-1) plays host to Cleveland at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Fox Lake Area Sports Complex in Welcome.

Jackson County Central (2-1) travels to Redwood Falls on Thursday for a 4 p.m. Big South Conference doubleheader with Redwood Valley.