Rum River won a marathon 15-inning affair at Nowthen Saturday afternoon as Kevin Auth tossed the first 11 innings and Andrew Julkowski got the win pitching the final four innings for the Bandits. Auth struck out 14 and allowed just 3 hits, while Julkowski blanked the Knights with only 2 hits allowed. Mike Koplitz stroked 3 hits for RR, with 2 hits each coming from Josh Coleman and Tim Koplitz.
On July 15, the Bandits blanked host Quamba 8-0 in a make-up game as the Eastern Minny League is winding down. Nate Knudsen had a huge game by striking out 10 and giving up 5 hits in a complete game effort. Knudsen also went 4-for-5 at the plate. M. Koplitz and Jake Gagne each delivered 3 RBI against the Cubs.
July 12 at Princeton, the Bandits fell 3-2 in 11 innings when the Panthers’ Mark Beattie stroked a one-out single with the defense drawn in to win it. Coleman (10.3 innings, 6 K) and Josh Vickers (11 innings, 7 H, 6 K) had a good pitchers’ duel going that evening.
The Bandits wrap up the regular season with a July 17 game at Hinckley (7:30 p.m.) and a July 19 game at Sartell (7:30 p.m.).
From Bandit Manager Tom Koplitz: The Bandits will travel to Hinckley the last weekend in July for the first two rounds of the Eastern Minny West playoffs. It’s a double elimination tournament with two teams from the West moving on to the Region 1C Tournament (also in Hinckley August 3-4 and 10-11). The league playoff schedule has the Bandits playing on Saturday, July 27th at either 1:30 or 4:30 p.m. and again on Sunday at either 10:30 a.m. or 4:30 p.m.
Eastern Minny Baseball: West Division– Princeton 10-7, 11-10 all; Sartell 9-6, 9-6; Rum River 7-7, 8-9; Nowthen 6-10, 6-13. East Division– Mora 12-2, 18-4; Hinckley 12-2, 16-7; Quamba 3-10, 4-14; Ogilvie 0-15, 0-15.
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