Amateur baseball: Raymond blanks Granite

RAYMOND -- Justin Koenen's two-run homer and Zach Nelson's six-hit shutout fueled top-seeded Raymond to a 3-0 win over No. 5 Granite Falls in an elimination game of the Cornbelt League playoffs Wednesday.

Raymond will host No. 4 Bird Island on Friday at 7:30 p.m. for the right to play Milroy in the title game on Sunday.

Nelson struck out eight and gave up just six singles and a walk to outduel Adam Brewers. Six walks hurt Brewers, but he gave up only five hits to keep the Kilowatts in the game.

Jordon Daugherty singled in Koenen, who walked and moved to second on a sacrifice, to give the Rockets a quick 1-0 lead in the second. Koenen then blasted a two-run homer in the third to give Nelson some insurance. Jordan Smith came home in front of Koenen after reaching on an error.

Tyler Dammann had two hits for the Kilowatts, who play either Eden Valley or the Cold Spring Rockies at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Bird Island in a Region 11C play-in game.

Friday's Raymond/Bird Island loser will have a quick turnaround as it will have to play a Region 11C play-in game Saturday at 1 p.m. in Bird Island against either Luxemburg or St. Augusta.

Raymond 3,

Granite Falls 0

Granite Falls.........000 000 000 -- 0 6 1

Raymond.............012 000 000 -- 3 5 2

HITTING - Granite Falls: Tyler Dammann 2-for-4; Jake Suter 1-for-4; Tyler Kanten 1-for-4; Craig Listul 1-for-4; Dylan Lindstrom 1-for-4 ... Raymond: Brandon Madsen 1-for-4; Tyler Steen 1-for-4, 2b; Mike Jeseritz 1-for-3; Justin Koenen 1-for-2, 2-run HR, 2 rbi; Jordon Daugherty 1-for-1, rbi

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Granite Falls: Adam Brewers (L) 8-5-3-2-6-2 ... Raymond: Zach Nelson (W) 9-6-0-0-1-8