By Nick Gerhardt
news@mnbaseball.org
Hunter Malachek kept Sartell under control Saturday in a 3-1 victory to send Maple Lake through to the quarterfinals.
Malachek threw a complete game and held the Muskies to two hits. He walked three and struck out two while getting a lot of dazzling defensive help. Ben Goelz made a diving stop in the first inning for the first out of the game. Logan Orazem tip-toed around the dugout to make an inning-ending catch. Later in the game, third baseman Ben Clapp made a diving stop and threw a base runner out.
The Lakers did struggle with the timely hit but finally broke through in the seventh inning for a pair of runs courtesy of two-out hits from Malachek, Donnie Mavencamp and Matt Bergstrom to build a 3-0 lead.
Maple Lake took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Goelz reached on an error, moved to second on a bunt and stole third. Goelz galloped home after the throw to third sailed away.
Sartell got a run in the top of the ninth when Ethan Carlson led off with a single and Jace Otto hit a one-out single. A sacrifice fly from Tim Burns brought Carlson in to erase the shutout for Malachek.
The Lakers will face Jordan in the quarterfinals Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in Delano.
