The Le Sueur Braves opened the 2010 Class C playoffs with a 15-5 drubbing of the Chanhassen Red Birds at Le Sueur on Friday night.  The Braves will next square off with Belle Plaine in the winner's bracket game on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park in Belle Plaine.  Chanhassen moves to the elimination round with a home game against the Waconia Lakers on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM at Chanhassen Red Bird Stadium.

The Braves pounded out 15 hits with Ryan McPartland getting two hits, scoring three times and knocking in 4 runs, including a bases loaded double to left center in the 6th inning that cleared the sacks and put the score at 8-3.    Daron Culbart worked 6 innings for the win, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits and 4 BBs, but striking out 9, including getting all Ks in both the 3rd and 5th innings.  Ryan McPartland relieved for two innings allowing 1 run on 3 hits and notching 3 Ks.

Casey Malmgren started on the mound for the Red Birds and had good momentum through 4 innings with 6 strikeouts allowing only 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 BBs.  But the 6th inning for the Braves was the difference maker.  Matt McPartland opened with a single to left.  After a towering pop fly to T. J. Gulden at 2nd, Ed Fahey walked.  A double by DJ Damberger into left field plated McPartland from 2nd. An intentional pass to Mike Milam loaded the bases for Ryan McPartland.  And he launched the double that cleared the bases. 

The Red Birds got two runs in the 5th. Tony Marengo led off with a single to left.  John Gulden followed with another single to left.  Zach Swenson then worked the pitcher for a walk that loaded the bases.  Another walk to Casey Malmgren scored Marengo, and a sharp single up the middle from Adam Heitz drove in Gulden from 3rd.  Jeff Pavlovich then was caught looking at a third strike to end the threat with the bases loaded.

In the top of the 6th, Cary McLaughlin opened the frame with a triple off the centerfield wall.  Nick Brenner lifted a SAC fly ball to CF to score McLaughlin with the 3rd run, and the partisan Red Bird crowd was hopeful that their team would come back.  But the bottom of the 6th opened the gates for the Braves, and the Red Birds had to settle for a Home Game against the Waconia Lakers on Sunday afternoon.

Luke Penovich relieved Malmgren in the 7th and struck out DJ Damberger to get the 3rd out with men on 1st and 2nd.  But in the 8th, the first 7 men to the plate reached base for the Braves with 5 singles and 2 BBs from Penovich.  Six of those 7 men scored and the game was over in the 8th.

Marengo was 2-4 and scored twice for the Red Birds and Penovich went 1-3, scoring once and getting 1 of the 4 RBIs for Chanhassen.

Join the Red Birds on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM at Red Bird Stadium for an elimination game against the Waconia Lakers.