FIELDING HIS POSITION — Blue Earth Area pitcher Logan O’Hara (left) fires the baseball to Buc first baseman Anders Fering for an out after fielding a bunt by Cannon Falls batter Jonny Monson (14) during a Section 2AA undefeated-bracket playoff game Thursday at Veterans Memorial Field in Blue Earth. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

BLUE EARTH — Blue Earth Area’s bottom of the first inning and Cannon Falls’ top of the second proved pivotal during Thursday’s Section 2AA third-round battle of baseball unbeatens at Veterans Memorial Field in Blue Earth.

Beau Zimmerman and Marcus Banks each doubled during the visitors’ three-run second at-bat, and left-handed ace Riley Miller notched 12 strikeouts in hurling 6 2/3 shutout innings to propel the Bombers to a 3-0 victory over the hometown Bucs.

No. 6-seeded Cannon Falls (11-9), winners of its last nine games, advances to face No. 1-seeded Belle Plaine in an 11 a.m. unbeaten-bracket sectional game Saturday in Gaylord.

No. 2-seeded Blue Earth Area (15-7) faces No. 12-seeded New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in a 1:30 p.m. elimination game Saturday in Gaylord. NRHEG upended No. 8-seeded Medford, 4-0, Thursday.

“They (the Bombers) threw us out on the base paths a couple of times during the first inning, and then we simply didn’t put the ball in play enough from that point on,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Todd Schmidtke. “We’re too good of a hitting team to have that many strikeouts (13 total).”

Unfortunately for the Bucs, leadoff batter Adam Schavey legged out an infield hit in the bottom of the first, but was erased when Cannon Falls catcher Loden Bell rocketed a perfect throw to second to deny the fleet-footed Schavey from swiping the base.

Keegan O’Brien followed with a sharp single to left field only to have the left-handed Miller pick him off for the Bucs’ second out.

Anders Fering walk and wheeled to third base on Luke Mertens’ single that was mishandled by the left fielder, but Miller got a ground out to escape unscathed.

Miller allowed a one-out double to Kean Hicks in the second, and a single to Fering in the third to finish with a five-hit shutout. Miller plunked three batters, including Adam Schavey twice, and issued two walks to notch the win.

Banks stepped to the mound with two out in the bottom of the seventh due to Miller reaching the maximum pitch count of 115, and the Bombers’ right-handed closer notched a strikeout to earn the save.

“Logan O’Hara threw a real nice game today and only gave up three hits, but we made two costly errors and that was the game,” said Schmidtke.

O’Hara gave up three unearned runs, struck out two and walked only one in seven yeoman innings of work to receive the loss.

Zimmerman led off Cannon Falls’ second at-bat with a double and scored when Bell’s grounder to short was thrown away at first base. Bell then circled the bases when Banks drilled an RBI double to deep center. Banks later scored when Ari Wells’ sacrifice bunt was thrown away at first base.

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Riley Miller (WP), Marcus Banks (7, Sv) and Loden Bell. Logan O’Hara (LP) and Ryan Madetzke.

LOB–Blue Earth Area 7, Cannon Falls 3. 2B–Kean Hicks (BEA), Beau Zimmerman (CF), Marcus Banks (CF). SAC–Ari Wells (CF), Jonny Monson (CF).

Section 3AA Playoffs

Paynesville 3, Fairmont 2 — No. 9 batter Chase Bayer delivered a pivotal two-run single during a three-run top of the fifth inning to help the Bulldogs nip the Cardinals in a Section 3AA elimination game Thursday at American Legion Field in Marshall.

Paynesville (16-8) advances to face Pipestone Area in another sectional elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Marshall. The Arrows remained alive in the tournament by defeating Minnewaska Area, 7-3.

Fairmont ended its season with a 14-10 record.

Landen Meyerdirk played a key role in helping generate both of Fairmont’s runs on the playoff game. Meyerdirk singled and later scored on a wild pitch during the Cardinals’ second at-bat. Meyerdirk then lofted a sacrifice fly to plate Jack Kosbab, who reached on a fielder’s choice, during the last of the sixth inning.

Eli Anderson went 2-for-4 with a double to top Fairmont’s five-hit performance, while Zach Jorgensen and Nate Soelter chipped in singles.

Jacob Crissinger started on the mound for the Cardinals, giving up three runs — just two earned — on seven hits in seven innings of work to absorb the loss. Crissinger struck out two and issued only one walk.

Eli Nelson gave up two runs — one earned — on four hits in six frames pitched to net the winning decision for the Bulldogs. Nelson struck out five and walked four.

Ryan Messer pitched the final 2/3s of an inning to net the save for Paynesville. Messer struck out one and allowed one hit.

Messer also topped the Bulldogs’ seven-hit effort by going 2-for-3, while teammate Tanner Stanley singled and scored a run.

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Section 2A Playoffs

Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 4, Martin County West 3 — Jacob Lux delivered the walk-off RBI single to plate teammate Joey Herzog with the game-winning run with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Knights edge the Mavericks in a Section 2A elimination game Thursday night in Sleepy Eye.

Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (11-10) faces BOLD in a 5 p.m. elimination game Saturday at ISG Field in Mankato. Springfield upended No. 1-seeded BOLD in an unbeaten-bracket contest, 6-4, on Thursday.

Martin County West ended its season with a 9-13 record.

Trailing 2-1, the Mavericks produced two runs in the top of the seventh inning to grab the lead. Blake Jagodzinske reached on an infield hit before Wyatt Williamson smacked a double to put runners at second and third.

Blake Jagodzinske scored the tying run on Lucas Jagodzinske’s suicide-squeeze bunt before Williamson crossed the plate with the go-ahead run via the Knights’ errant throw on the same play.

The Knights then scored the tying run in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch to force extra innings.

Lux went 3-for-4 to top the Knights’ nine-hit effort, while teammate Patrick Hoffman went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Zach Anderson and Lucas Jagodzinske each went 2-for-3 to pace the Mavericks’ eight-hit performance. Anderson doubled and collected one RBI.

Anderson pitched six innings, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one to receive a no-decision for MCW.

Blake Jagodzinske gave up one unearned run on one hit, hit one batter and struck out one in one inning of relief to absorb the loss.

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Prep Softball

Section 2AA Playoffs

Le Sueur-Henderson 10, Fairmont 0 — Starting pitcher Chloe Brandt and closer Rhyan Fritz combined to hurl a perfect game to power the Class AA No. 1-ranked Giants to a run-rule, five-inning triumph over the Cardinals in Thursday’s Section 2AA second-round playoff game in Henderson.

No. 1-seeded LSH (18-1) advances to face New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in a 2 p.m. unbeaten-bracket game Saturday at Caswell Park in North Mankato. NRHEG edged Cannon Falls, 4-3.

Fairmont (7-14) faces Cannon Falls in a 2 p.m. elimination game Saturday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Brandt recorded 11 strikeouts and did not issue a walk in four scoreless and hitless innings pitched to earn the win. Fritz fanned one in closing out a perfect fifth frame.

Fairmont starter Nevaeh Rahm allowed seven runs — six earned — on just two hits, struck out four and walked four in three innings of work to absorb the loss. Allison Janssen gave up three runs — one earned — on two hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

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Winning run scored with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Section 2A Playoffs

New Ulm Cathedral 23, Martin County West 5 — Jenna Hotovec and Lily Franta each singled and doubled to drive in three runs apiece to power the Greyhounds to an 18-run, four-inning sectional playoff win over the Mavericks on Thursday in New Ulm.

New Ulm Cathedral (18-2) faces Springfield in an unbeaten-bracket contest, while Martin County West (9-10) plays Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s in an elimination game. Both games start at 10 a.m. at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Cathedral ace hurler Kiah Helget allowed five runs on five hits, struck out one and did not issue a walk in four frames to earn the complete-game victory.

Emily Dunlop hammered a two-run home run to top MCW, Ivy Kokoruda contributed a run-scoring double and Thea Anderson added an RBI single.

Lina Arnold, Kelley Bettin and Emily Anderson combined to handle the Mavericks’ pitching duties, allowing 11 hits and issuing a combined 14 walks. MCW also committed seven errors on the game.