BLUE EARTH — Koby Nagel’s complete-game gem placed Winnebago/Blue Earth in the finals.

WBE Posts 82 & 89 beat Minnesota Lake Post 287, 6-1, in the semifinal matchup of the Division II Section 2C Legion baseball tournament Friday night in Blue Earth.

With the win, WBE (9-1) plays in today’s championship game at 4:30 p.m. in Blue Earth. WBE will player the winner of the 2 p.m. game between Minnesota Lake and Wells Post 210.

Wells knocked out Welcome/Sherburn Post 553 with a 12-1 win at 2 p.m. Friday, then went on to knock out St. James Post 33 in a 10-1 game. St. James beat Truman Post 115 8-2 in the 11 a.m. game to end Truman’s season.

Nagal pitched all seven innings for Posts 82 & 89, allowing only one run on three hits, a walk and a hit batter.

The lone run Nagel allowed came in the first inning. Nagel hit Post 287 shortstop Austin Yokiel with a pitch and Yokiel advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw before scoring on a Jared Latusek single through the left side of the infield.

After the first, Nagel recorded seven-consecutive outs and allowed only two hits, both doubles from MN Lake third baseman Riley Fischer, while recording three strikeouts.

WBE head coach Paul Nienaber said Nagel was able to mess with the MN Lake hitters’ timing.

“He does an amazing job of keeping hitters off balance,” Nienaber said. “He has a little bit of a quirky motion, which can give hitters a tough time, but he can spin that curveball up there and mixes his speeds. … He didn’t walk people tonight, that’s the biggest thing. He made them earn their chances on base.”

After MN Lake scored its lone run in the first inning, WBE came back to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame.

Joseph Schavey got the inning started when he took a walk, then Karson Legred continued his torrid hitting when he smoked a double to the wall in left-center field, putting runners on second and third.

Anders Fering took a walk to load the bases before Hunter Bleess walked to bring in WBE’s first run.

In the third, Posts 82 & 89 scored what would become the winning run.

Legred cracked another double, this one hitting high off the tall wall down the left-field line. Kean Hicks came in as a courtesy runner for Legred and scored when Fering singled through the left side of the infield, giving WBE a 2-1 advantage.

MN Lake threatened to tie or take the lead in the fifth when it got runners to second and third with two outs, but Nagel forced a soft groundout back to the mound to escape the inning with no damage done. WBE scored a few insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth just in case, though.

Nagel reached base on an error and Luke Mertens followed, reaching on another error. Keegan O’Brien dropped a single just in front of the MN Lake left fielder, causing a close play at third with Adam Schavey courtesy running for Nagel. Adam Schavey had to stay close to second in case the ball was caught, but was able to beat the ensuing throw to third and load the bases. Joseph Schavey and Legred were each hit by pitches to score two runs, then Fering hit an infield single, beating the throw from short. Joseph Schavey showed heads-up baserunning, taking home on the throw when the MN Lake catcher went up the first-base line to back up the play.

Nienaber said he was pleased with the team’s immediate effort.

“This was a really good test, that was a really good team that we played today,” Nienaber said. “That pitcher was tough, he changed speeds a lot, he kept us off balance and they played ridiculous defense behind him. It’s the mark of a good squad when you can win the games that aren’t pretty. We did what we needed to do, we played hard. I’m proud as heck of the hustle we showed and the fact that we didn’t take plays for granted, but ran hard on everything. That bought us at least three runs in that game. And in a game like that, those were a big three runs.”

Legred had two doubles and a run scored for WBE, while Fering had two singles and two RBIs.

O’Brien had two singles and a run scored, while Nagel had a single and a run scored.

If WBE wins their 4:30 p.m. game today, they will win the Division II Section 2C tournament, Nienaber said he will look for the team to keep its energy up.

“I just want to see us come out like we have the last couple of days, with energy, with pep and ready to go,” Nienaber said. “I think we’ve hit the idea that it’s go time, it’s playoff time. That’s what I want to see us do, bring the energy from the word go again, because that’s what we’re gonna need. We’re gonna play another good team tomorrow.”

MNL 100 000 0 — 1 3 3

WBE 101 004 x — 6 5 1

Koby Nagel (WP) and Karson Legred. Joe Bennett (LP), Mason Frank (6) and Brady Walters.

LOB–MNL4, WBE 7. 2B–Riley Fischer 2 (MNL), Karson Legred 2 (WBE). SAC–MAX NELSON (MNL).