Amateur Baseball: Willmar blitzes Bird Island; Stern throws three-hitter

WILLMAR -- Anthony Stern held Sacred Heart to three hits in a complete-game performance and Willmar beat Bird Island 11-1 in eight innings Sunday to stay alive in the Cornbelt South playoffs.

The Rails (10-8) will play at Sacred Heart on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in another elimination game.

Stern, Lane Kleist and Matt Seehusen supplied the Rails with two hits each and Josh Dahlke invoked the 10-run rule by scoring on a wild pitch with one out in the eighth.

On the mound Stern struck out five and gave up singles to Kyle Seehusen, Shawn Dollerschell and Jesse Bjur, who knocked in the Islanders' only run in the seventh.

The Rails started to pull away in the sixth when Kleist slugged a two-run double, Jordan Olson doubled in a run and Travis Koenen had an RBI single.

Willmar upped its lead to 8-0 in the seventh when Bird Island left fielder Mike Wolff dropped a fly ball, allowing Stern and Seehusen to score.

Willmar 11, Bird Island 1

Bird Island 000 000 10 -- 1 3 5

Willmar 000 204 32 --11 11 0

HITTING - Bird Island: Kyle Seehusen 1-for-4; Shawn Dollerschell 1-for-3; Jesse Bjur 1-for-3, rbi ... Willmar: Lane Kleist 2-for-5, 2b, 2 rbi; Matt Sagedahl 1-for-4; Anthony Stern 2-for-4, 2 runs; Josh Dahlke 1-for-3, 2 hbp's, 2 runs; Matt Seehusen 2-for-4, 3 runs; Jordan Olson 1-for-4, 2b, 2 runs, 2 rbi; Travis Koenen 1-for-4, rbi; Matt Odom 1-for-3, rbi

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Bird Island: Andy Stevens (L) 5.1-9-6-6-2-1, Erik Gass 2-2-5-3-2-0 ... Willmar: Anthony Stern (W) 8-3-1-1-1-5