Patrick Riewer led a home run parade Sunday as the Bertha Blazers earned their fifth Hi-10 League playoff championship with a 16-1 win over Detroit Lakes on the Bertha diamond.
Batting in the No. 3 spot in the order, Riewer went 3-for-4 at the plate, homered twice, scored three times and drove in four runs. His dinger in the second was the first of three solo pokes for the Blazers, who also got one-run shots from Mike Blom and Nate Meissner.
The Blazers got 19 hits from 10 batters. Riewer's three-hit day at the plate was matched by Blom and leadoff hitter Marcus Riewer. Blom was 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Riewer was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and one run.
Picking up two hits apiece for the Blazers were Meissner, Dakota Aeling and Austin Selvey. The three players also combined for five runs.
Patrick Riewer got the job done on the mound for Bertha. Riewer worked six innings and allowed only two hits and one earned run. He walked four and struck out nine. John Riewer came on in the seventh and sent down the side in order.
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The Blazers gave up a solo run in the top of the first but answered the challenge by scoring five times in the bottom half of the inning. With Riewer handcuffing DL's hitters, the Blazers built an 8-0 lead after five frames. They saved their biggest offensive production for the sixth when they scored eight runs by sending 12 batters to the plate. Patrick Riewer's two-run homer and Marcus Riewer's three-run triple highlighted the big inning.
The Angels got a double from Kirk McLeod and a single from Marson Swegarden.
Brock Johnson pitched five inning for the Angels and surrendered 11 hits and seven earned runs. Johnson did not walk a batter but he tossed three gopher balls and fanned only one batter. Trevor Tappe was also hammered giving up eight runs and eight hits in one inning.
Steve Riewer will see his Hi-10 champions square off with Park Rapids Friday in an 8 p.m. game at Perham. The ESox are the fourth place team out of the Lake and Pines League.
Other first round matchups in the Region 14C tournament will have Midway facing Bluffton in an 8 p.m. game in Menahga, Nimrod and Detroit Lakes meeting in an 8 p.m. contest at New York Mills and Staples playing New York Mills under the lights in Deer Creek at 8 p.m. Second round play in both the championship and loser's brakcets will commence at 11 a.m. Saturday in Perham. Three games are set for Sunday. Loser's bracket games will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday's championship bracket game will start at 5 p.m. Tournament play continues Aug. 14-15 in Perham.
Detroit Lakes 100 000 0 - 1 2 1
Bertha 510 028 x - 16 19 1
Brock Johnson, Trevor Tappe (6) and Kirk McLeod; Patrick Riewer, John Riewer (7) and Dakota Aeling
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WP- P. Riewer; LP- Johnson
HR- P. Riewer 2, Blom, Meissner (B)
