Merchants lose in WBA playoffs

            Osseo’s first loss came at the worst time as the Merchants season was ended in the second round of the Wisconsin Baseball Association playoffs on Saturday.

            The Merchants improved to 13-0 on the season with a 4-2 win over Gildden in the first playoff game, but struggled to get runs home in their second as they fell to Hayward 4-1. 

            River Falls went on to win the WBA Championship, defeating the Eau Claire Bears on their way to the title. 

Osseo 4 Gildden 2

            The Merchants scored the first three runs of the game then added one more as they held on for the win.

            Osseo had just five hits in the game, but they were able to take advantage of four errors. Cal Freitag had two of Osseo’s hits while Nolan Matson, Jackson Johnson and Joe Zawacki all had RBIs in the game. 

            Tanner Marsh, one of two players Osseo drafted from CRBL rival Beef River, pitched the Merchants to the win in the first game. He tossed six innings with three hits and seven walks while striking out seven. Preston Gamroth pitched the seventh inning, allowing two runs on four hits and Johnson closed the game out allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three. 

Hayward 4 Osseo 1

            The Merchants had twice as many hits, but couldn’t bring anybody home until it was too late.

            Hayward took advantage of an error and strung together a couple of hits as they scored four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead.

            The Merchants had 10 hits in the game, but left nine runners on base. They weren’t able to get on the board until Marsh crossed the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth. 

            Matson had three hits for Osseo and Zawacki and Johnson both had two. Zawacki got the team’s only RBI.