St. Cloud, MN - Despite mother natures's best attempts the Region XIIIA baseball tournament was able to be played this weekend. After tornado warmings and heavy rains pushed all of Thursday's games to Friday, the RCTC Yellowjackets won both of their Regional games to advance to next week's District Tournament. The Jackets down Northland 11-1 in the tourney opener, before taking care of host St. Cloud 6-0 in game two on Saturday. The Jackets got two outstanding pitching performanceas as Alec Dietl worked 5 innings, allowing only one run in game one, while Drew Simmons threw a complete game shutout, scattering 5 hits over 9 innings of work in game two.
In game one, Dietl and the Yellowjackets got all the offense they would need in the bottom of the first as Carlos Martinez scored on a bases loaded ground ball, and the Zebastian Bolduc scored on Gustavo Gonzalez RBI single. Despite only needing the two runs the Jackets weren't done as Gustavo Gonzalez hit a three-run homerun in the second to give RCTC a 5-1 lead. The Jackets picked up a single run in the third on an RBI single by Izaak Stevens, before Blake Schilling lace a three run homerun of his own in the 4th. Later in the inning Jovan Marrero single to score two more giving the Jackets the 11-1 5 inning win. Martinez finished the game 3-3 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI, while Marrero, Zebastian Bolduc, and Klayton Hawkins each finished with a pair of hits.
In game two, it was all Drew Simmons (with some help from Bolduc). Simmons was in complete control throughout as he struckout 6 and threw 101 pitches over nine innings for the win. Bolduc was 2-4 with 2 homeruns, 2 runs scored and 4 of the Jackets 6 RBI's. Gabe Sepulveda got things going early for RCTC lacing a double to score Carlos Martinez in the first. From their both pitches seemed in control, allowing no runs until Bolduc's first homerun in the 6th. Klayton Hawkins then double in the seventh to score Blake Schilling. Bolduc, then homered again in the 8th to score 2 and seal the win.
RCTC will make another trip to St. Cloud this week for the District Tournament with a berth in the NJCAA College World Series on the line. The Jackets will first play Ridgewater with game times to be determined. In addition to the Jackets and Warriors the double elimination tournament features the Raiders of Central Lakes, and the Cyclones of St. Cloud.
