Staff photo by Steve Muscatello Sleepy Eye VFW’s Nick Labat drops down a bunt during Sleepy Eye’s playoff game against Mapleton Friday at Johnson Park in New Ulm.

NEW ULM — Mapleton scored four times in the top of the seventh to break the game open and it eliminated Sleepy Eye VFW 7-0 in the Second District baseball playoffs Friday at Johnson Park.

Joe Bennett went the distance for Mapleton. He allowed just five hits in the shutout.

Jacob Meyer took the loss for Sleepy Eye. He gave up six runs on eight hits. He walked three and hit a batter.

Mapleton will now play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Johnson Park against Shakopee.

Mapleton scored twice in the top of the first and that was enough for Bennett. Bennett and Isaiah Anderson both scored to give Mapleton the early lead with Colby Quiram driving in Anderson on an RBI single. Meyer escaped further damage as Mapleton left the bases loaded in both the first and second innings.

Mapleton struck again in the third inning, scoring a run on a balk. Sleepy Eye finally got in the hits column in the fourth inning after Spencer Hoffmann and Meyer led off with back-to-back singles, but both were stranded.

Mapleton then put the game away in the sixth with a four-run inning. Austin Yokiel had the big hit with a two-run double to make it 6-0 at that point. He later scored on Ryley Fischer’s RBI single for the game’s final run.