SPRINGFIELD -- The Bemidji Blue Ox didn’t have an answer for the offensive firepower of the Cold Spring Rockies on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Ox fell 10-1 in the quarterfinals of the Class C amateur baseball state tournament in Springfield, bringing their season to an end.
Bazil Zuehlke put Bemidji on the board first as his RBI double in the bottom of the second spotted the team a 1-0 lead. The Blue Ox loaded the bases that inning, but came away with only the one run.
Austin Duffner leveled the score in the fourth with his solo home run. The Rockies pulled into the lead two innings later with an RBI triple by Alex Geislinger and a sacrifice fly by Nick Skluzacek that made it 3-1.
Cold Spring went on to add five more runs in the seventh and two in the eighth, securing a spot in the semifinals.
Jake Brinker earned the complete-game win, scattering nine hits over nine innings pitched with one run and three strikeouts.
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Turner Storm was saddled with the loss after surrendering eight runs on nine hits over 6 2/3 innings, while striking out three.
Caleb Manecke led Bemidji at the plate by going 3-for-4, while Mitch Hendricks batted 2-for-5.
The Blue Ox duplicated their state quarterfinal run of a year ago, and finished 2020 with a 9-5 record.
Cold Spring 10, Bemidji 1
CS 000 102 520 -- 10-10-4
BEM 010 000 000 -- 1-9-2
WP: Brinker (9 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K).
LP: Storm (6.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 3 K).
