The Bluffton Braves went 2-0 in the Hi-10 playoffs, advancing to the Region 14C amateur baseball tournament with wins over New York Mills and Perham. Following the loss to the Braves on Saturday, the Millers beat Wadena-Deer Creek in an elimination game and will face Perham this Friday. The winner will join Bluffton in the region tournament.
Bluffton starting pitcher Cody Geiser carried a no-hitter and 4-1 lead into the ninth inning on Saturday against the Millers before Tony Meech blasted a 2-run homer to left field, getting Mills within one run. The Braves held off the Millers last-inning charge to win 4-3 and advance to round two against Perham on Sunday.
Geiser pitched nine innings, gave up three runs on two hits and struck out five. Meech took the loss for the Millers. He threw eight innings and gave up four runs on 10 hits, while striking out six.
Geiser also did the job offensively for the Braves. He and Marc Sweere were both 2-4 against Mills.
The Millers scored first in the game when Jeramie Weller, after reaching base on a walk, scored on a wild pitch to give Mills a 1-0 lead. The Braves answered with three runs in the bottom of the irst, highlighted by a Jake Seelhammer 2-run single. Bluffton scored one more run in the third inning to lead 4-1.
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Bluffton 9, Perham 3
In the second round of the playoffs Bluffton's Dustin Geiser picked up the win over Perham on Sunday. He gave up three runs on six hits. The Braves scored three runs in the third inning and six in the seventh inning to beat the Pirates, who committed seven errors in the game. Geiser earned the win for Bluffton and Perham's Jon Kotaska suffered the loss.
