FARGO, N.D. – The good news is the Great Bend Braves need one victory to advance to Saturday’s Mid States 17-and-under Regional baseball semifinals.
Missouri champion Jefferson City beat the Braves 12-1 Thursday in an opener.
The Braves (31-16) will still advance to the semifinals as a pool runner-up if they defeat Sioux Falls, S.D., which lost both pool games Thursday. The Braves play Sioux Falls at 5:30 p.m. and Fargo, N.D. at 8 p.m. Fargo has qualified for the semifinals with two pool wins.
Jefferson City swung aggressively from the outset, scoring runs in the first five innings against starter Jesus Bujanda and several Braves relievers for a 12-1 lead.
Jefferson City leadoff batter Zach Woehr was a terror with four hits, three runs scored and two RBIs.
Woehr tripled and scored on a first-inning wild pitch. Jason Binkley singled doubled home Gavin Bernskoetter for a 2-1 lead. Binkley scored on Woehr’s double for a 3-1 lead off Jesus Bujanda. Gage Bax scored on Gavin Strickland’s third-inning sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead.
Josef Kielholz doubled home Wyatt Luebbert and Binkley for a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning. Kielholz scored on Gage Bax’s groundout for a 7-1 lead. Woehr, Kielholz and Parker Bax delivered fifth-inning RBIs for a 12-1 lead.
Braves’ leadoff batter Calan Haberman evened the score 1-1 on a wild pitch. Haberman singled, stole second base and advanced to third base on Townshend Kurth’s groundout.
Haberman and Kurth reached base on a walk and fielder’s choice, but the third-inning threat fizzled when Colin Hall struck out and Haberman was thrown out at third base by the catcher Stricklan for a double play.
JEFF CITY 12, BRAVES 1
JC 121 35 — 12 14 0
GB 100 00 — 1 2 3
Jackson Voss and Stricklan. Jesus Bujanda, Eduardo Bujanda (3), Soupiset (4), Olivas (5) and Hall. W—J. Voss. L—J. Bujanda. 2B—JC—Woehr. Luebbert, Kielholz, Bernskoetter. 3B—JC—Woehr.
LEGION A MID STATES REGIONAL
FARGO, N.D.
WILLIAMS S
TADIUM (x-semifinalist)
RED POOL—x-Edina, Minn. 34-7 (2-0); x-Jefferson City, Mo. 28-8 (2-0); Moorhead, Minn. (0-3)
BLACK POOL—x-Fargo, N.D. 25-21 (2-0); Great Bend Braves 31-16 (0-1); Sioux Falls, S.D. 49-14 (0-2)
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Fargo 9, Sioux Falls 8
Edina, Minn 15, Sioux Falls 5
Edina 5, Moorhead 4
Jefferson City 12, Great Bend Braves 1
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Fargo 7, Moorhead 3
Jefferson City 16, Moorhead 7
Edina vs. Jefferson City (winner, loser qualify for semifinals)
Game 8—5:30 p.m.—Great Bend vs. Sioux Falls (winner qualifies for semifinals)
Game 9—8 p.m.—Great Bend vs. Fargo
SATURDAY’S SEMIFINALS
Game 10—9 a.m.—Fargo, N.D. vs. Edina-Jefferson City loser
Game 11—11:30 a.m.—Edina-Jefferson City winner vs. Great Bend Braves or Sioux Falls
Game 12—2 p.m.—Championship game
GREAT BEND BRAVES ROSTER
1—Joey Soupiset, RP-3B
3—Cal Kaiser, 2B-CF-LF
8—Calan Haberman, RP-RF-CF
9—Riley Smith, RP-2B-D-LF
10—Christian Zahnter, RP-SS
13—Colin Hall, RP-C-3B-RF
14—Nahum Olivas, 2B-LF-RF
24—Eduardo Bujanda, RP-1B-C
28—Jayce Christiansen, RP-2B-RF-CF
33—Townshend Kurth, RP-SS
42—Dalton Barfield, RP-1B-C
35—Jesus Bujanda, RF
Coaches—Travis Kurth, Darrin Hall
2017 GREAT BEND BRAVES (31-16)
31-16—L—REGIONAL, Jefferson City 1-12 (J. Bujanda)
31-15—L—STATE, Emporia 3-11 (Kurth)
31-14—W—STATE, Emporia 3-2 (Hall)
30-14—W—STATE, Andover Jaquars 9-1 (Hall)
29-14—W—STATE, Andover Trojans 6-3 (E. Bujanda)
28-14—W—STATE, Olathe 5-0 (J. Bujanda)
27-14—W—STATE, Salina Hawks 17-4 (Kurth)
26-14—L—STATE, Olathe 1-11 (Hall)
26-13—W—ZONE, McPherson 12-3 (E. Bujanda)
25-13—L—ZONE, McPherson 7-10 (Kurth)
24-13—W—ZONE, McPherson 11-9 (Hall)
23-13—W—ZONE, Pratt 17-16 (Hanrahan)
23-12—W—ZONE, Cunningham 36-0 (Christiansen)
22-12—W—PRATT (Dodge City 27-4 (Soupiset)
21-12—L—PRATT (Hoisington 2-6 (Smith)
21-11—W—PRATT (Pratt 7-2 (J. Bujanda)
20-11—W—Kinsley 10-4 (Haberman)
19-11—L—Kinsley 15-16 (Haberman)
19-10—L—Hays 7-9 (E. Bujanda)
19-9—L—Hays 14-15 (Christiansen)
19-8—W—Dodge City 14-4 (Kurth)
18-8—W—Dodge City 9-6 (Smith)
17-8—L—CHIEFS, Larned 5-7 (E. Bujanda)
17-7—L—CHIEFS, Pratt 9-10 (Hall)
17-6—L—CHIEFS, Russell 8-11 (Powell)
17-5—L—CHIEFS, Colts 0-4 (J. Bujanda)
17-4—W—Kinsley 14-0 (Hall)
16-4—W—Kinsley 12-2 (Smith)
15-4—L—BRAVES, Salina Hawks 6-15 (J. Bujanda)
15-3—W—BRAVES, Russell 11-4 (Haberman)
14-3—W—BRAVES, Hutchinson 8-2 (Kurth)
13-3—W—BRAVES, Salina Hawks 9-1 (Hall)
12-3—W—BRAVES, Russell 10-2 (Soupiset)
11-3—W—Pratt 16-8 (Kurth)
10-3—L—Pratt 5-13 (Smith)
10-2—W—Dodge City 5-4 (E. Bujanda)
9-2—W—Dodge City 8-2 (Hall)
8-2—W—Cunningham 17-0 (Haberman)
7-2—W—Cunningham 36-2 (Kaiser)
6-2—W—Hays 11-9 (Powell)
5-2—W—Hays 10-8 (Kurth)
4-2—L—EMPORIA, Emporia 1-2 (J. Bujanda)
4-1—W—EMPORIA, Mound City 10-9 (Hall)
3-1—W—EMPORiA, Kansas Senators 10-2 (E. Bujanda)
2-1—L—EMPORIA, Chanute 2-8 (Hall)
2-0—W—Russell 13-3 (E. Bujanda)
1-0—W—Russell 14-3 (Kurth)
RECORDS—Hall 7-3, Kurth 6-2, E. Bujanda 5-2, Haberman 3-1, Soupiset 2-0, Smith 2-2, J. Bujanda 2-4, Kaiser 1-0, Hanrahan 1-0, Powell 1-1, Christiansen 1-1
