Amateur Baseball: Hi-10 Playoffs: Detroit Lakes eliminates Bluffton, 9-3 (UPDATED)

Second-seeded Detroit Lakes jumped all over Bluffton starter Kyle Dykhoff enroute to the 9-3 victory in Friday’s Hi-10 elimination game at Washington Park in Detroit Lakes.

Dykhoff was rocked for nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits in nearly five innings. He was knocked out of the game when he surrendered a two-out, three-run homer to the Angels Phil Kirchner in the bottom of the fifth that gave Detroit Lakes the 9-0 lead.

The Angels scored three runs in the bottom of the opening stanza, and then added single runs in the second and fourth innings. Mark Gulseth, who went 1-for-4 in the game, accounted for three early ribbies with a single in the first inning along with a sacrifice fly in the second and Bluffton error in the fourth.

Detroit Lakes put the game out of reach in the fifth starting with a leadoff walk from Reed Oistad, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from designated hitter Bryan Buhr. Trevor Tappe grounded out, but the Angels loaded the bases on a double from Chris Gilson and Taylor Fuhs was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Kirchner’s blast.

Dustin Geiser came in relief for Dykhoff and got the third out with the Braves trailing 9-0.

Bluffton posted a crooked number in the sixth to erase the goose egg on the scoreboard and spoil Detroit Lakes starter Brock Johnson’s shutout bid. Cody Geiser led off the frame with a single, Dykhoff was hit by a pitch and Marc Sweere walked to load the bases. Josh Sweere followed in the order by ripping a two-run single and the Braves capped the scoring on an Angel fielding error on a Kevin Tumberg base hit.

The Braves collected nine hits in the loss with Dustin Geiser leading the team with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate. Tumberg and Marc Sweere had the only extra base hits for Bluffton with doubles.

Chris Gilson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of doubles for the Angels, who advanced to face top-seed Wadena-Deer Creek at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in another Hi-10 elimination game. The winner between the Angels/Shockers game will face the Bertha Blazers at 1:30 p.m. Sunday in the Hi-10 Championship game in Bertha.

The top four teams in the Hi-10 playoffs secured a berth in the Region 14C playoffs. Bluffton will be the Hi-10 fourth-place team and will face Resorters East Champion Miltona at 8 p.m. Friday (August 5) in Perham.

UPDATE: Bluffton drafted Josh Hendrickx of the New York Mills Millers for their Region 14C roster at the conclusion of the Hi-10 Championship game on Sunday afternoon, which was won 10-7 by the Detroit Lakes Angels over the Bertha Blazers.
The Hi-10 Champion Angels selected Brad Ellingson of Perham, while runner-up Bertha chose Jeff Hamann of New York Mills. Third-place Wadena-Deer Creek picked Taylor Doll of Perham.

Region 14C Bracket (Courtesy: Ron Berns)

Hi-10 Playoffs
No. 4 Bluffton at No. 2 Detroit Lakes on July 29
Angels 9, Braves 3
Bluffton 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0—3 9 2
Detroit Lakes 3 1 0 1 4 0 0 0 x—9 10 1
WP: Brock Johnson (DL) 5IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 7K
LP: Kyle Dykhoff (Bluffton) 4.2IP, 8H, 9R, 7ER, 3BB, 5K
Bluffton— Dustin Geiser 3-5; Cody Geiser 1-4, R; Dykhoff 1-3, R; Marc Sweere 1-4, R, 2B; Josh Sweere 1-3, 2RBI; Kevin Tumberg 1-3, 2B; Kyle Geiser 1-3
Detroit Lakes—Chris Gilson 3-4, 3R, (2)2B, RBI; Taylor Fuhs 2-2, 2R, RBI; Phil Kirchner 2-4, R, HR, 3RBI; Mark Gulseth 1-4, R, 3RBI; Doug Dickey 1-3, 2B; Reed Oistad 1-4, R, RBI