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Olson, Lakers power past Tigers in 2C semifinals

Hanska grabs 3rd straight state berth with victory

By Travis Rosenau 5 min read

SLEEPY EYE -- The Hanska Lakers didn't outhit the Springfield Tigers by much Saturday night, but their hits sure did more damage.

Sawyer Olson was one Laker in particular to thank for that.

With a pair of two-run home runs, the designated hitter helped his Lakers power past the Tigers 15-5 in a Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament semifinals game at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.

The big victory also helped Hanska earn a Class C Amateur Baseball State Tournament berth for the third year in a row.

"We're ready for it," Sawyer Olson said of the state tournament. "We were there last year and we're there to win it this year. We want it bad."

Saturday night's game ended in eight innings due to the 10-run lead rule.

Sawyer Olson finished 2 for 5 in the game with his pair of two-run homers, which were set up both times by Colin Anderson, who led the Hanska bats by going 3 for 5 with three runs scored.

Sam Knowles got the Lakers on the board first with a bases-clearing double in the second inning and finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs. However, Sawyer Olson's first two-run homer of the night, which went over the fence in left-center field, kick-started an eight-run fourth inning to give Hanska an 11-1 lead. His second homer of the night, also to left-center, put the Lakers up 14-3 in the sixth.

"That first one, I got a hold of that one, but the wind was blowing in, so I didn't know if I was going to clear the fence or not," Sawyer Olson said. "Then that second one, I got a piece of it on the hand, so I didn't think it was going to go either, but they both ended up leaving, so it was great."

The Lakers outhit the Tigers 14-11.

Chris Knowles also had a pair of hits for the Lakers and went 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Kevin Larson went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBIs and Brock Wellmann was 1 for 2 with a double, three walks and three runs scored. Brady Mosensen added a two-run double, while Jake Finstad had a hit and Tanner Olson had an RBI.

Right-hander Aaron Portner got the start and win for Hanska in six innings of work, allowing 11 hits and two walks for five runs, three earned, while striking out seven. Anderson pitched the final two innings in relief and allowed one walk while striking out two.

Tyler Hach led the Tigers at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, while Jake Poehler was 3 for 4 with two doubles and Decker Scheffler was 2 for 5 with an RBI.

Justin Haugo took the loss in 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three walks for 10 runs, five earned, while striking out one. Brandon Wilhelmi pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief and allowed five hits and two walks for four runs, two earned, and struck out two, while Noah Neperman pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed two hits and two walks for one run while striking out one.

The Lakers got on the board first in the second when Sam Knowles doubled to right to bring home Larson, Anderson and Wellmann for a 3-0 lead. The Tigers got a run back in the top of the third on an RBI single by Hach to score Russell Beers, who got the first hit of the inning on a one-out single to center.

After a one-out single by Anderson, Sawyer Olson connected on a pitch for his first homer of the night to put Hanska up 5-1. A walk to Wellmann was followed with a fielder's choice that saw Wellmann out at second and Sam Knowles safe at first. An error on a hit to the outfield by Finstad scored another Hanska run before Chris Knowles was walked intentionally. Larson and Mosenden had back-to-back two-run doubles to make it a 10-1 game before an error on a grounder hit by Anderson scored Mosenden for an 11-1 Lakers lead.

Springfield got two runs back in the fifth when Scheffler singled to right to score Beers and a fielder's choice scored Poehler.

Tanner Olson's bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning gave the Lakers a 12-3 lead. After a leadoff single by Anderson, Sawyer Olson sent another pitch over the wall for a 14-3 Hanska lead.

The Tigers weren't going to go down early in the seventh and Hach's two-run double made it 14-5 and kept the game alive. That hit helped keep the game going until the eighth when Hanska loaded the bases and Chris Knowles singled to left to score Wellmann and finish things.

Before the state tournament begins, the Region 2C tournament has plenty of action left, including the Region 2C championship game, which will pit the top-seeded Lakers against the second-seeded Courtland Cubs at 6 p.m. this coming Saturday in Sleepy Eye. The Cubs earned their way to the Region 2C title game with an extra-inning win over Granite Falls at Johnson Park in New Ulm earlier Saturday.

The winner of the Region 2C championship game will get the No. 1 seed from Region 2C in the state tournament.

"[Courtland has] a lot of good hitters, good defense, got a couple good pitchers, too," Sawyer Olson said. "But all we've got to do is put the bat to the ball, play as a team and just get through it."

Starting at /week.