Titans down WEM to open postseason play

The Tri-City United baseball team hosted Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Thursday night in the first round of the Section 2AA baseball tournament. A six-run second inning propelled the Titans to an 8-1 victory, advancing the team to the second round.

Max Krautkremer earned the start on the mound as well as the victory as he pitched five innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits while striking out 11. Parker O'Mallery pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three.

In the top of the first inning, the Buccaneers managed to turn a leadoff walk into a run after an RBI double with one out and managed to load the bases with two outs, but Krautkremer escaped the jam with a strikeout. After a 1-2-3 top of the second, TCU got the offense rolling with a leadoff single from Keegan O'Meara followed by walks from Max Novotny and Reggie Vosejpka.

A wild pitch during Kellen Jirik's at-bat allowed O'Meara to score the tying run before Jirik drilled a single into left to bring Novotny home. After a pop out to second, Dylan Westerman sent a line drive to centerfield which scored two more runs.

Krautkremer then demolished a ball into the right centerfield gap that one hopped into the fence for an RBI triple and was brought home by a Hunter Moravec RBI single in the next at bat, giving the Titans a 6-1 lead. TCU put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the third with Nathan Blaschko ripping an RBI double to right followed by an RBI double for Westerman that capped off the scoring in the game.

WEM would only get four baserunners through the remainder of the game with two of them coming in the top of the seventh, allowing TCU to cruise to the win.

Westerman finished the day going 3-3 at the plate with three RBI's and a walk while Jirik went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

The Titans are scheduled to return to action Tuesday, May 28, when they will travel to Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial with a trip to the section quarterfinals on the line. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the winner will play the victor between Waseca and Belle Plaine while the losing team enters the consolation bracket.