JR. Vultures coast to easy playoff win

After suffering a devastating loss to BOLD in the first round, the Minneota Jr. Vultures began fighting back in the losers bracket with a 12-1 win over Dawson Friday night in Minneota.

The win set them up for a 7 p.m. game Tuesday night against Madison, in Granite Falls.

No. 1-ranked Sacred Heart (RCW-MACCRAY) defeated Madison in the winners bracket. As a result, Granite Falls plays Monte and Minneota plays Madison in the loser's bracket. The winners return to Granite Falls on Friday for a 5 p.m. game in an attempt to get to the finals. Meanwhile, Sacred Heart will play BOLD in the winners bracket at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Sacred Heart.

FRIDAY NIGHT in Minneota, pitcher Ben Skorczewski didn't allow a hit until the third inning when Brayden Hahn ripped a double. But he diidn't allow Dawson to score, went four innings and picked up the win. Skorczewski gave up just three hits and fanned seven. He got relief help from Carter Schuelke in the fifth and final inning.

It wasn't that the bats were booming — but Dawson kept giving the Junior Vultures opportunities and they took advantage.

In the first a walk to Skorczewski turned into three runs after a Josh Schuelke single and two sacrifice flys for runs by Cooper VanOverbeke and AJ Myhre. An error let in the third run.

The walk to Skorczewski would be the first of three he'd receive off Dawson pitching and he scored all three times.

While they picked up single runs in the second and third innings — the big blow came in the fourth

The "Vulturized" Dawson by using four singles, three walks, a wild pitch and two Dawson errors to score seven runs. Dawson tried to stem the tide with three different pitchers, but nothing worked and Minneota had a 12-1 lead.

Leading the way for Minneota were Thor Fischer with two hits and run knocked in; AJ Myhre with a pair of hits and two runs knocked home; VanOverbeke with a pair of runs batted in and Jonah Gruenes with a single that plated two runs.

MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Ben Skorczewski, p-ss 1 3 0 0; Josh Schuelke, 2b1 2 1 0; Troy VanKeulen, 2b-cr 0 1 0 0; Cooper VanOverbeke, 3b-lf 2 1 1 2; AJ Myhre, c 2 1 2 2;  Carter Schuelke, ss-p 2 1 0 0; Jackson Esping, rf 3 2 0 0; Thor Fischer, 1b-3b 3 1 2 1; Tyler Gronke, lf 2 0 0 0; Braeden Panka, 3b-2b 0 1 0 0; Jonah Gruenes, cf 3 0 1 2; Josh Garmak, ph-1b 0 0 0 0. Totals 19 12 7 7.

DAWSON (AB-R--H-RBI) Aiden Swenson, dh-ss-p 3 1 0 0; Caleb Torke, p 0 0 0 0; Brayden Hahn, c 3 0 1 0; Quinton Garcia, rf2 0 0 0; Rodie Johnson, 1b 2 0 1 0; Aric Gruwell, lf 2 0 0 0; Ryan Lundy, 2b 1 0 1 0; Blake Thompson, 3b-ss 1 0 0 0; Dustin Dueth, p-3b 2 0 0 0; Braxton Hahn, cf 2 0 0 0. Totals 18 1 3 0.

Score by Innings:

Dawson          100 00 — 0  3 5

Minneota        311 7x — 12 7 1

E-Minneota: J. Schuelke; Dawson- Swenson 2, Lundy Brayden Hahn, Thompson. LOB-Minneota 5; Dawson 3. SB-Minneota: Skorczewski 2; C Schuelke, Fischer 2. SAC-Minneota: Myhre, VanOverbeke. DP-Dawson 5=3 (3). 2B-Dawson: Brayden Hahn.

Pitching                        IP    R    ER    H    BB    K

Minneota

Skorczewski (W)           4     1    0       3     2      7

C. Schuelke                  1      0    0       0     0     1

Dawson

Dueth (L)                      3       7    6      3     5      2

Torke                           .1       5    0      3     1      0

Swenson                     .2        0   0      1     2      1

HP-J. Schuelke (by Dueth); WP-Dueth, Torke, Swenson; Skorczewski 4; BALK: Skorczewski.