The 5th seeded Upsala Bluejays opened the Region 9C Tournament with a 7-3 win over #4 St. Wendel on Friday night in Pierz. Brady Burggraff had a 3-hit game and added a sacrifice fly while Jaxon Bartkowicz smashed a solo Homer for Upsala.
The Saints grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the 1st when Tyler Huls reached on an error and Brandon Dickmann clubbed a 2-run Homer to make it 2-0 after 1 inning. It was Dickmann’s 3rd Homer this year against Upsala.
That 2-0 score held up until the top of the 6th when Upsala finally got to Saints starter Connor Breth. Matt Swanson led off with a walk and then scored on a Brandon Welinski double to make it 2-1. Jack Primus then singled to drive in Welinski and tie the game at 2-2, as Primus went to 2nd on the throw home. That hit knocked Connor Breth out of the game for St. Wendel, replaced by Chase Lyon on the mound. Brady Burggraff then hit a ground ball that was thrown away for an error, allowing Primus to score and Burggraff to end up at 2nd with Upsala now leading 3-2. After a 2-out walk to Brock Cichon, Justin Cichon delivered an rbi single to score Burggraff and Upsala was ahead 4-2.
In the bottom of the 6th, Rolando Ramos was hit by a CJ Clear pitch with 1 out. After Ramos stole 2nd, Tyler Huls singled to drive in Ramos to make it 4-3. After Huls was thrown out trying to steal, Logan Harren lined a double, and Upsala brought in Matt Swanson to pitch in place of CJ Clear. After an intentional walk to Brandon Dickmann, Swanson got Austin Dickmann to pop out to 1st baseman Jeremy Mugg to end the 6th with Upsala leading 4-3.
Upsala then added 2 runs in the top of the 8th on a sacirfice fly from Brady Burggraff and a solo Homer to left from Jaxon Bartkowicz to make it 6-3.
In the top of the 9th, the Bluejays added an insurance run when Bryce Binek led off with a double and scored on a 2-out infield rbi single from CJ Clear to make it 7-3.
Matt Swanson allowed a 1-out single in the bottom of the 9th but ended things with a pair of fly ball outs to right fielder Jaxon Bartkowicz to lock up the 7-3 win for Upsala.
Upsala now face #1 seed Pierz Lakers on Saturday at 7:00 in a State Qualifying game. St. Wendel will play Aitkin in an elimination game on Saturday at 4:30 in Pierz.
Upsala 7 12 2 – 7
St. Wendel 3 7 1 – 3
WP: CJ Clear 5.2IP 3 runs 6 hits 6k 4bb 2hp
SV: Matt Swanson 3.1IP 0 runs 1 hit 4k 0bb 1hp
LP: Connor Breth 5.1IP 3 runs 6 hits 8k 1bb
Chase Lyon 3.2IP 4 runs 4 hits 3k 2bb 1hp
Bluejays:
Justin Cichon 2-5 rbi
Bryce Binek 1-5 2B, run
Matt Swanson 0-3 2bb, run
Brandon Welinski 1-5 2B, rbi, run
CJ Clear 1-5 rbi
Jack Primus 2-4 bb, rbi, 2 runs
Brady Burggraff 3-4 sac fly, rbi, run
Jaxon Bartkowicz 1-5 Hr, rbi, run
Brock Cichon 1-2 bb, hp
– Jeremy Mugg 0-0
Saints:
Tyler Huls 1-4 hp, rbi, run
Logan Harren 2-5 2B, sb
Brandon Dickmann 1-3 Hr, sac, bb, 2 rbi, run
Austin Dickmann 2-3 2bb
– Connor Breth
– Will Ethen 0-0 sb
– Aiden Micholski 0-0
Jake Ethen 0-5
Tanner Reis 1-3 bb, hp
Tanner Tomasek 0-2 bb
– Peter Schumer 0-1
Carter Voss 0-3 bb
Rolando Ramos 0-3 hp, sb, run