The Billygoats beat the Red Devils 6-4 in the Class C State Tournament Semifinals in Faribault on Sunday.  Nathan Ehnstrom, a draftee from Aitkin picked up the Win with Matt Tautges earning a Save.  The Goats defense was outstanding, turning 3 double plays including one to end the game.  Noah Boser went 3-5 with a double and 3 rbi, Lane Girtz went 2-2 with 2 walks, Andrew Rueckert was 2-3 with a double and 3 rbi and Jack Suska was 1-4 with a double as the Billygoats win set up an All Region 8C Championship game with Nisswa.

The Billygoats beat the Saints 13-4 in the Class C Quarterfinals in Faribault behind the veteran pitching combination of Todd Robinson and draftee Mike Beier of Foley.  Noah Boser had 3 hits including a double and drove in 3 runs, Lane Girtz had a pair of hits and 2 rbi, Jack Suska had 2 hits including a double and 2 rbi, Andrew Rueckert had a 2-hit game and Aaron Weber belted a 3-run Homer to power Goat Nation into the Semifinals against Watertown.

The Pioneers lost 3-0 to Class AA's #1 ranked team, Pequot Lakes on Tuesday at the MAC. Game scores were 25-9, 25-19, 25-11.  Ashley Kimman led the Pioneers with 5 kills and 4 assists.

While the Avon Lakers were dropping a heart breaker to St. Patrick on Saturday in Dundas, the Nisswa Lightning were taking on the New Ulm Brewers at the same time in Faribault.  I picked up the broadcast of the final few innings of the Lightning's 4-2 win over New Ulm that propelled Nisswa into the State Quarterfinals against the Jordan Brewers.

The Lakers season came to a heartbreaking end with a 5-4 loss to the Irish in Dundas in the State Tournament Sweet Sixteen. Matt Meyer went 5-5 for Avon and Reese Gregory and Riley Voit had a pair of hits.  With Avon leading 4-3 going to the bottom of the 9th, St. Patrick's Jack Friedges led off with a double, followed by a walk-off 2-run Homer from Ryan Friedges to send the Irish to the Quarterfinals.

The Billygoats beat the Lakers 8-5 in Dundas on Saturday in the Class C Quarterfinals. Buckman trailed Waconia 5-1 after 3 innings but then the Goats bats woke up, erasing that lead by scoring in 6 consecutive innings.  Noah Boser had 3 hits, including a double and Homer, Matt Tautges had 3 hits including a go-ahead 2-run triple, Lane Girtz added 3 hits and Andrew Rueckert doubled and Homered to power the Buckman offense.  Drew Beier, a draftee from Foley, pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits as Buckman moved on to the Quarterfinals on Sunday against Dumont.

The Pioneers opened the season with a 28-14 win at home over the Huskers, using 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter to break a 14-14 tie.  Derek Stangl burst free for a 99 yard kickoff return, Kirby Fischer ran for a touchdown and caught a pass from Garrett Cummings for another and Reese Young cemented the victory with a 75 yard touchdown run with under 2 minutes left. For the Huskers, Drew Lange and Luke Bieniek ran for 1st half scores.

The Pioneers edged the Wolves 3-2 in front of a large, energetic crowd at the MAC in the home opener for Pierz.  Game scores were 25-14, 18-25, 17-25, 26-24, 15-13.

The Avon Lakers edged the St. Martin Martins 2-1 in 11 innings in a suspended game played at 2 sites on 2 days.  After the Martins took a 1-0 lead in Faribault on Saturday night after an inning and a half, heavy rain forced a suspension of play.  The game resumed on Sunday afternoon in Meisville with that 1-0 score holding up until the top of the 7th when Elian Mezquita drilled an rbi double off the left field wall to plate pinch-runner Cody Stich and tie the game 1-1.  In the top of the 11th, Caleb Curry smashed a 1-out solo Homer to put Avon up 2-1.  In the bottom of the 11th, Matt Swanson, a draftee from Upsala, walked 2 and gave up a single as St. Martin loaded the bases with 2 outs, but Swanson got a game-ending pop out to Ryan Janzen at 2nd to send the Lakers to the Sweet 16.

The Buckman Billygoats blanked the Luverne Redbirds 4-0 in the 2nd round of the Class C State Tournament in Faribault as Matt Tautges fired a Complete Game 5-hitter for his 2nd Complete Game Win of the Tournament.  Jack Suska got the scoring started with a 3rd inning rbi double, followed by a run-scoring single by Matt Tautges.  Noah Boser led off the 4th with a long Homerun to make it 3-0, then in the 6th, Matt Kummet singled home Noah Boser to make it 4-0 and send the Billygoats into the Sweet 16.