SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye VFW took an initial 2-0 lead but ended with a 9-3 loss to Mankato American VFW Thursday in a VFW baseball game.

Anden Braun took the loss for Sleepy Eye, striking out seven but allowing nine runs on 13 hits in 3 2/3 innings. At the plate, Braun was 3 for 3 with two runs scored, while Jalen Brandl and Mason Mathiowetz each had two hits.

Mankato threatened to score in the first inning, but a Mankato baserunner was caught going home by catcher Gus Hoffmann to prevent the run. Sleepy Eye loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, with Braun and Brandl both singling and Mathiowetz drawing a walk before Tommy Schwartz was hit by a pitch to score the first run. Brandl came home on a passed ball to make it a 2-0 game.

Mankato put up one run in the second after a trio of singles, but Braun struck out the final batter to end the threat. Mankato’s offense didn’t slow down, however, as it scored five runs in the third inning to take a 6-2 lead. Cooper Walter’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third scored Braun for a 6-3 game, but American got it back in the fourth for a 7-3 lead. Two more runs in the fifth put the score at 9-3, where the score remained until the final inning.

Sleepy Eye (6-5) awaits seeding for the District 2 Playoffs on Wednesday in Mankato.