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RAYMOND -- Kyle Knott belted a grand slam and drew three walks and Jason Meyer hit a home run as top seed Raymond cruised to a 12-2 win over Granite Falls in the Cornbelt South playoffs Friday night. Raymond (25-10) will now host Bird Island at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
WILLMAR -- Dean Larson claimed his first trophy of the season at the KRA Speedway Thursday and Cory Tammen posted a sweep. Tim Juven, a veteran Street Stocker from Delano, provided a heart-stopping moment when the rear end of his No. 10 racer snapped coming into Turn 1 in his heat, sending the car into a multiple roll over that didn't end until the car crashed into the cement barriers at the top of the turn landing right side up. The rear axle and wheels lay orphaned 20 yards back up the track. Juven was unhurt.
The Willmar I VFW baseball team is the top seed for the District 5 playoffs and will play the winner of today's Starbuck vs. Ortonville game at 6 p.m. Monday in Willmar. The Willmar II team was seeded No. 6 and will play at No. 3 Alexandria on Tuesday.
Amateur Baseball CORNBELT SOUTH Playoffs Sacred Heart at Willmar, 7:30 p.m. Granite Falls at Raymond, 7:30 p.m. Atwater at Bird Island, 7:30 p.m. Legion Baseball New London-Spicer at Fargo Invitational, day 1 of 2
WILLMAR -- Chad Willenbring of Rocori High School leads a list of 23 recruits released Monday by Ridgewater College baseball coach Dwight Kotila. Willenbring, is one of seven Lions' All-Stars verbally committing. Willenbring, a 6-4 pitcher, led the Cold Spring school to both the Class AAA basketball and baseball tournaments. "Willenbring is a right-hander who topped out at 91 miles per hour at the Lions' All-Star game," said Kotila.
KERKHOVEN -- Darrin Carlson drove in four runs and Chris Braaten threw a five-inning four-hitter as No. 1 seed Kerkhoven got off to a fast start in its District 7, Division II Legion baseball playoffs with a 14-1 conquest of Benson Thursday. Carlson supplied two-run singles in both the first and the second innings as Kerkhoven bolted to a 7-0 lead. Justin Johnson had a two-run single in a three-run third. Jared Johnson singled and doubled in Kerkhoven's nine-hit attack. Mitch Grunig singled home Benson's run in the fourth.
RAYMOND -- Zach Thissen went 4-for-4, including hitting his seventh home run of the season, and Brock Madsen collected three hits to help MACCRAY edge Eden Valley-Watkins in the opening round of the District 7, Division II Southwest playoffs Thursday evening. Thissen was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as he doubled in the first and third innings, singled in the fifth and launched a two-run homer in the sixth which proved to be winning hit for MACCRAY. The Scarlets will now face Fairfax at noon Saturday in Raymond. Tyler Steen grounded out in the first inning to bring in Justin Koenen
Legion Baseball Alexandria at New London-Spicer, 6 p.m. DISTRICT 7, DIVISION II Southwest Cottonwood at Montevideo, 7 p.m. Granite Falls at Sacred Heart, 7 p.m. Northeast Benson at Kerkhoven, 6:30 p.m. Madison at Glenwood, 6:30 p.m. Northwest at Montevideo Clinton vs. Wheaton, 6 p.m. Chokio vs. Morris, 8:30 p.m. Southwest Eden Valley-Watkins vs. MACCRAY at Raymond, 7:30 p.m. Tri-Town at Fairfax, 7:30 p.m. MELROSE SUB-DISTRICT, DIVISION II Championship Paynesville at Holdingford, 6:30 p.m. Stock Car Racing KRA Speedway in Willmar, 6:30 p.m.
RAYMOND -- Nate Hebrink had a perfect game over five innings before exiting and Raymond rapped 13 singles en route to a 10-0 win over Sacred Heart in the first round of the Cornbelt South League playoffs Wednesday night. Raymond (24-10) will host Granite Falls Friday in the second round of the double-elimination playoffs. Sacred Heart plays at Willmar on Friday. Hebrink struck out five in his five-inning stint to pick up the win. He left with the Rockets ahead 9-0.
ATWATER -- In a dual of right versus left, Michael Malvin of the Atwater Chuckers prevailed 3-1 over the Willmar Rails on a steamy Wednesday evening on the Chuckers' home field. The right hander gave up a first-inning run but blanked the visitors the rest of the way as the Cornbelt South opened its six-team, double-elimination playoff with three games last night. Top seed Raymond and Bird Island also were winners. Rails' southpaw Mark Krogstad was the losing pitcher despite giving up only three hits and fanning 16 Chuckers.