AMATEUR BASEBALL: Bemidji Bucks clinch spot in Region 6B tournament

GRAND RAPIDS - After a tough loss in game one, the Bemidji Bucks rebounded and beat the Grand Rapids Indians last weekend to secure a spot in the Region 6B Minnesota Baseball Association tournament.
The Indians took game one 3-2 after a walk-off two-out solo home run by Reid Holum Saturday, but the Bucks dominated with a 16-4 win on Saturday, forcing a third game on Sunday which they won 7-1.
The Bucks and Indians were locked in a pitchers duel in the early game Saturday between Nolan Coyle of Bemidji and John Skrbec of Grand Rapids.
The score was 0-0 until the bottom of the sixth when the Indians plated two runs on a two-run single from Drew Sjestand.
But Bemidji answered in the eighth when Mason Bellew hit a solo home run and again to tie the game in the ninth when Connor McNallan hit a RBI single.
McNallan’s RBI single only set up the dramatic win for Grand Rapids in the bottom half of the inning.
In the second game Saturday, the Indians took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the first inning while the Bucks’ were struggling in the first two innings.
Bemidji got its first hit of the game when Nick Hovila hit a double to set up Jack Hegarty two-run single in the third to take the lead.
The Bucks never looked back as they scored four runs in the fourth, two in the sixth and eight in the seventh, including a grand slam from Cody Jenkins. Bemidji held Grand Rapids to no runs in the seventh to force the 10-run rule and win.
In the final game on Sunday, McNallan stifled the Indians’ bats as he went nine innings and gave up one run on two hits, four walks and striking out six.
McNallan also helped out his own cause going 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI, including a solo home run in the sixth inning. He also hit a RBI single as part of a three-run fourth inning for the Bucks.
With the win, Bemidji advances to the Region 6B MBA tournament at Al Nyberg Field in Hibbing.
The No. 4 seed Bucks will begin play at 8:45 p.m. Friday against top-seeded Moorhead following the game featuring No. 2 Twin Ports and No. 3 Duluth.
A win would put the Bucks in the finals of the winner’s bracket, which will be played at 3 p.m. Saturday, while a loss sends them to the loser’s bracket where they’ll play at noon Saturday.