ROCHESTER - The Ridgewater Warriors wrapped up their eighth straight MCCC Southern Division title with sweeps of Riverland College and Rochester Technical and Community College.
Head coach Dwight Kotila got his 300th career win Saturday at Austin, where he began his junior college coaching career 11 years ago. After winning a Region 13 title in his second year, the Cokato native moved to his alma mater in Willmar where he had played for Mike Johnson. This is his ninth season with the Warriors.
Ridgewater piled up 47 hits in the twin sweeps. Zach Etter, a sophomore from Menagha, went 10-for-17 with a double, a triple, three homers and seven RBI.
Game One
Ridgewater 18, Rochester 3
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Etter wristed a pair of two-run homers over the fence and Travis Fluck and Jacolby Anderson also homered in a 14-hit barrage. Anderson's came with two on. Scott Rambow singled and doubled twice and plated two runs. Alex Stein cruised to the six-inning win on a five-hitter with three walks.
Ridgewater 105 037 - 18 14 1
Rochester 210 000 - 3 5 2
HITTING - Ridgewater: Zach Etter 3-for-5, 2 2-run HR's, 4 rbi; Steve Boldt 1-for-3, 2b; Zac McCann 1-for-3, Scott Rambow 3-for-4, 2 2b's, 2 rbi; Ryan Young 1-for-4, 2 rbi; Travis Fluck 2-for-4, solo HR, rbi; Jacolby Anderson 3-for-3, 3-run HR, 4 rbi .... Rochester: Mike White 2-for-3, rbi; Luke Proper 1-for-3, 2b, 2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ridgewater: Alex Stein (W) 6-5-3-3-3-3 .... Rochester: Aaron Stein (L) 2-4-4-2-3-1, Buck 3-7-6-6-2-2, Conway 1-3-8-6-2-1
Game Two
Ridgewater 14, Rochester 8
Ridgewater rolled to its 25th victory and fourth over Rochester in four days. Zach Etter got the win in relief of Ryan Krause. Jacolby Anderson, Zach Etter and Travis Fluck had two hits apiece. Matt Sagedahl punched in two runs.
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Ridge. (11-1, 25-7) 132 134 0 - 14 10 2
Rochester 002 402 0 - 8 10 4
HITTING - Ridgewater: Zach Etter 2-for-4, 2b, Zac McCann 1-for-3, 2 rbi; Scott Rambow 1-for-2, 2 rbi; Travis Fluck 2-for-4, rbi; Jacolby Anderson 2-for-4, 2b, rbi; Adam Schieck 1-for-4, rbi; Matt Sagedahl 1-for-4, 2 rbi .... Rochester: Lund 2-for-3, 2-run HR, 3 rbi; Cody Jones 1-for-3, 3b, 2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ridgewater: Ryan Krause 32/3-7-6-6-2-0, Zach Etter (W) 21/3-2-2-0-1-3, Jacolby Anderson 1-1-0-0-0-1 .... Rochester: Eric Grulke (L) 3-5-6-5-3-0, Buck 4-5-8-6-4-0
Results Saturday
Game One
Ridgewater 6, Riverland 1
Adam Ferrell pitched three scoreless innings on three hits, no walks and four strikeouts as he continues his comeback from a shoulder injury. Etter added a solo homer in the seventh to a pair of singles earlier. Zac McCann doubled twice and Ryan Young went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Adam Nilson threw three strong innings for the win.
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Ridgewater 211 000 2 - 6 11 2
Riverland 000 100 0 - 1 4 1
HITTING - Ridgewater: Zach Etter 3-for-3, solo HR, 2 rbi; Zac McCann 3-for-4, 2 2b's; Ryan Young 3-for-4, 2 rbi; Travis Fluck 1-for-4, rbi; Matt Sagedahl 1-for-2 .... Riverland: Rob Barslou 1-for-3, 2b
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ridgewater: Adam Ferrell 3-3-0-0-0-4, Adam Nilson (W) 3-1-1-1-3-3, Andy Bauer 1-0-0-0-0-3 .... Riverland: Jake Blome (L) 61/3-10-5-4-3-5, Matt Richter 2/3-1-1-1-1-0
Game Two
Ridgewater 10, Riverland 8
Down 5-2 starting the sixth inning, Ridgewater scored four runs in the sixth - Zach Etter's three-run triple was the big hit - and four more in the seventh.
Andy Bauer pitched one inning for the win, the 300th in Kotila's coaching career. Chris Butala started and pitched five innings, allowing seven hits and five earned runs.
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Ridgewater (23-7) 011 004 4 - 10 12 1
Riverland 202 011 2 - 8 13 2
HITTING - Ridgewater: Zach Etter 2-for-5, 3b, 3 rbi; Steve Boldt 1-for-4, 2b, rbi; Zac McCann 1-for-4, Steve Wetterling 2-for-4, 2 rbi; Scott Rambow 1-for-1, rbi; Eric Schmitz 2-for-4, 2 rbi; A.J. Hadley 1-for-4, Matt Sagedahl 1-for-2, rbi; Drew Thompson 1-for-1, rbi .... Riverland: Lou Lang 3-for-4, rbi; Adam Etsch 2-for-4, 2b; Adam Richter 2-for-3, 2b, 4 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ridgewater: Chris Butala 5-7-6-5-3-7, Andy Bauer (W) 1-2-2-2-0-0, Zach Etter (S) 1-2-0-0-0-0 .... Riverland: Rob Barslou 52/3-7-6-5-5-2, Elias Solveling (L) 11/3-5-4-4-4-1
NEXT -- Ridgewater: Saturday, home vs. Dakota County (2), 1 p.m.
