The Oulu Blue Jays advanced to the Wisconsin Baseball Association state tournament with a 14-6 win over host Rib Lake Sunday. Oulu, now 15-3 on the year, advances to play Eau Claire at 9 p.m. Friday in Ashland.
Rib Lake jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but Luke Olin quickly tied the score with a home run in the second. Oulu and Rib Lake each scored one in the third to keep the game tied 2-2, but a walk and a Jeff Lahti RBI-single put Oulu up for good in the fourth.
The Blue Jays scored three more in the sixth to make it 8-2 on a George Hansen home run and a Mike Lewis double, that plated two more runs. Rib Lake threatened in the bottom of the sixth, with two consecutive hits, but second baseman Jeff Lahti made a diving catch of Craig Scheithauer's line drive to center field and doubled the runner off second base to snuff out the rally. Oulu scored three more in the seventh and eighth to put the game away.
Olin led the Oulu hitters with three, including a double to go with his home run. D.J. Lahti, Jeff Lahti, Rick Hansen, Mike Lewis and Tom Simonson all had two hits each. David Barningham pitched 61?3 innings to get the win and George Hansen finished up.
Ryan Beard had four hits and Jamie Ziembo had three to lead Rib Lake. Scheithauer took the loss.
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Oulu defeated Abbotsford 16-2 Saturday in the first round of the WBA playoffs.
The Blue Jays erupted for 13 runs in the ninth inning to break open a close game. Oulu sent 19 batters to the plate during the 10-hit barrage in the ninth, with a Brandon Swartz three-run homer being the big blow.
Luke Olin had three hits to lead Oulu, while George Hansen, Mike Lewis, Rick Hansen, Tom Simonson, Ryan Scherz and Keith Johnson all had two hits each. Both Hansens and Lewis had doubles, while Johnson had a two-RBI triple in the fourth. Andrew Urbaniak pitched a complete game to get the win, striking out 11 while walking only one and scattering seven hits.
Ryan and Cody Soyk each had two hits for Abbotsford. Dan Soyk took the loss.
