Ryan Diers belted a pair of Home Runs and drove in 3 runs, scored 3 times and reached base in all 4 plate appearances as the #1 seeded Pierz Lakers downed the #8 seeded Aitkin Steam 6-4 on Friday night at Hellie Fin the first game of the Region 9C Tournament.
Ryan Diers put the Lakers on the board with a line-drive , 2-out solo Homer in the bottom of the 2nd to make it 1-0.
In the top of the 4th, Aitkin got a lead-off walk from Landon Janzen. After a pair of strikeouts from Pierz starter Carter Petron and a wild pitch, Owen Foday singled up the middle to score Janzen and tie the game at 1-1. Carson Kullhem was also walked to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Zack Ehnstrom then cracked a double, scoring both runners and giving the Steam a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 4th, Ryan Diers was hit by a pitch with 2 outs and Kamden Happke walked. Kolten Happke then singled to load the bases and Chase Becker then lined a 2-runs single down the left field line, scoring Ryan Diers and Kamden Happke to make it 3-3 after 4 innings.
After Preston Rocheleau took over the Pierz pitching duties following the Zack Ehnstrom 2-run double, he worked a quick top of the 5th as well, with 2 strikeouts and a line out to right fielder Ryan Chmielewski.
In the bottom of the 5th, Ryan Chmielewski doubled with 2 outs, then scored on an rbi single by Carter Petron to make it 4-3. Ryan Diers then followed with his 2nd Homer of the night, a towering blast over the fence in right-center to put the Lakers ahead 6-3 after 5 innings.
Preston Rocheleau retired the Steam in order in both the 6th and 7th, but then allowed back-to-back hits to Jake McGuire and Landon Janzen to open the 8th, who drove a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs. But Rocheleau got out of that trouble with a pop up to shallow right field and a pair of called 3rd strikes to keep it a 6-3 game.
In the top of the 9th, Carson Kullhem led off with a single, then with 1 out, Nolan Dotzler doubled to get the potential tying run to the plate with 1 out. Preston Rocheleau got Nathan Ehnstrom to line out to Chase Becker in center field for the 2nd out with Kullhem tagging and scoring on the sacrifice fly to make it 6-4. Preston Rocheleau then ended the game with a his 10th strikeout, fanning Jake McGuire to finish off the Lakers 6-4 win.
The Pierz Lakers will now play the #5 seeded Upsala Bluejays in a State Qualifying game on Saturday night at 7:00 pm in Pierz.
The Aitkin Steam will play the #4 St. Wendel Saints in an elimination game on Saturday at 4:30 in Pierz.
Aitkin 4 10 2 – 4
Pierz Lakers 6 12 1 – 1
WP: Preston Rocheleau 5.1IP 1 run 4 hits 10k 1bb
Carter Petron 3.2IP 3 runs 6 hits 1k 3bb
LP: Zack Ehnstrom 4.2IP 6 runs 6 hits 1k 4bb 1hp
Jake McGuire 0.1IP 0 runs 2 hits 0k 0bb
Thor Dunham 3.0IP 0 runs 4 hits 2k 2bb
Lakers:
Chase Becker 2-4 bb, 2 rbi, sb
Noah Cekalla 2-5
Preston Rocheleau 0-4 bb
– David Kroger 0-0
Brady Petron 1-5
Ryan Chmielewski 1-4 2B, bb, run
Carter Petron 1-5 rbi, run
Ryan Diers 2-2 Hr(2), bb, hp, 3 rbi, 3 runs
– Kirby Fischer 0-0
Kamden Happke 1-2 2bb, run
Kolten Happke 2-4
Steam:
Zack Ehnstrom 3-5 2B, 2 rbi
Nolan Dotzler 2-5 2B
Nathan Ehnstrom 0-3 sac fly, bb, rbi
Jake McGuire 1-5
Landon Janzen 1-2 2B, 2bb, run
Jake Ince 0-4
Thor Dunham 1-4
Owen Foday 1-4 rbi, run
Carson Kullhem 1-3 bb, 2 runs