Staff photo by Steve Muscatello Sleepy Eye’s Zach Haala lays down a bunt during Sleepy Eye’s playoff loss to Mankato American Thursday morning at Mueller Park.

NEW ULM — After clubbing out 21 hits for 22 runs against Worthington on Wednesday afternoon in Division 1, Sub-State 2 legion baseball playoff action, Sleepy Eye Post 7 struggled to string hits together on Thursday morning against Mankato American and were shut out 3-0 as a result.

The loss dropped Post 7 to a loser’s bracket game, while Mankato moved on in the winner’s bracket.

Both teams were scheduled to play again later in the day, Sleepy Eye in Searles and Mankato in New Ulm, but rain forced the three remaining legion playoff games to be pushed back a day to Friday. Sleepy Eye will take on Fairmont at 2 p.m. Friday at Mueller Park, while Mankato meets New Ulm Legion Gold at 7 p.m. Friday at Mueller Park.

Friday and Saturday’s originally scheduled games were also pushed back a day, with times remaining the same.

Jacob Berg pitched well for Post 7 in six innings against American but took the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits. He struck out three and didn’t allow a walk.

Jaeden Kenward got the complete-game shutout win for Mankato, giving up five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.

Berg allowed just three hits until the bottom of the sixth inning, where Mankato strung together three singles in a row to load the bases with one out. An infield fly rule was called for the second out before Dalton Dodge drove a two-run single to right for a late 2-0 Mankato lead. A passed ball allowed Jackson Keller to score from third for a 3-0 American lead before Berg ended the inning with a strikeout.

Sleepy Eye had early opportunities to score but stranded a runner in both the second and third inning before Nathan Walter doubled with one out in the fourth for Post 7’s first extra-base hit of the game. Walter was picked off, though, and tagged out in a rundown before Nick Labat grounded out to end the top of the fourth.

Sleepy Eye had its best chance to score in the top of the sixth after Ethan Fischer singled to lead off the inning and Zach Haala dropped down a bunt single. Kyle Domeier then moved both runners up 90 feet with a sac bunt before Carter Brinkman was walked intentionally to fill the bases.

Kenward didn’t let the jam rattle him, however, and got a strikeout and a pop fly to end the threat.

In the seventh, Berg took a leadoff walk before Fischer got a two-out double to push Berg to third and extend the inning. A pop out ended the game shortly after, however.

Fischer was 2 for 3 for Post 7, while Haala was 2 for 4. Walter’s double was the only other Sleepy Eye hit.

Kawika Hashimoto led American with a pair of singles.