RAYMOND -- Raymond defeated Bird Island 7-3 Friday night in the Cornbelt League amateur baseball playoffs, and Bird Island, Pearl Lake, Milroy and Watkins all play in single-elimination play-in games today.
Bird Island plays Pearl Lake at 1:30 p.m. today in Watkins, and Milroy plays Watkins at 4:30 p.m., with the winners earning spots in the Region 11C tournament.
Raymond plays at Sacred Heart at 1:30 p.m. Sunday for the Cornbelt League championship. Raymond has one loss in the playoffs and would need to defeat Sacred Heart twice to win the championship.
In the Raymond-Bird Island game, Raymond essentially put the game away early, scoring five runs in the second inning. The Rockets tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Seven Rockets players had at least one hit, led by Tyler Steen, who was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in, and Brad Madsen, who was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Jed Nelson had a hit and drove in two and Kyle Knott also drove in a run.
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Rockets starter Tyler Knott worked eight innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out seven. Zach Nelso worked a scoreless ninth.
Bird Island's Mark Neubaurer had a double among his two hits and Shawn Dollerschell doubled and had an RBI.
Raymond 7, Bird Island 3
Bird Island 000 010 020--3 6 2
Raymond 050 000 02x--7 11 1
HITTING - Bird Island: Mark Neubauer 2-5 2b, Luke Kramer 1-4, Shawn Dollerschell 1-4 2b rbi, Tyler Hebrink 0-3 sf rbi, Alex Gay 1-4, Jesse Bjur 1-4 hr rbi. Raymond: Tyler Steen 2-5 2b rbi-2, Jed Nelson 1-3 sf rbi-2, Mike Jeseritz 1-4 2b, Kyle Knott 1-4 rbi, Jordan Smith 3-4, Jason Meyer 1-3, Brandon Madsen 2-4 2b-2 rbi-2.
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Bird Island: Dylan Gass 8-11-7-7-4-5. Raymond: Tyler Knott 8-6-3-3-1-7, Zach Nelson 1-0-0-0-1-1.
