Blasting the game wide open during a seven-run seventh inning, the Rockets ended up rolling to a 10-1 win over the Tigers in the opening round of the Class C Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament at Tiger Park.

John Sawatzky, starting pitcher for Raymond, was impressive also on the mound despite a no decision as he pitched five innings and allowed one earned run on two hits and no walks. He struck out four. Granite Falls draftee Bennett Knapper got the win in three innings of relief, allowing no hits, walks for runs and striking out two. Esau Nelson pitched the ninth for Raymond and allowed one hit, a double to Decker Scheffler, while adding a strikeout to end the game.

Milbrath carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a one-out RBI single by Caleb Ditmarson ended it. Milbrath ended up taking the loss in 5 1/3 innings, allowing five walks and the one hit for two earned runs while striking out five.

Milbrath, who struck out the side in the fifth, opened the bottom of the sixth with a walk to Mike Jeseritz. Milbrath forced a pop out before Ditmarson singled to right to score Jeseritz and tie the game at 1-all. A walk to Eli Nelson and wild pitch that let Ditmarson take third ended Milbrath’s day as lefty Justin Haugo entered.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Springfield’s Aiden Moriarty fouls off a pitch during a Class C Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament game against Raymond on Sunday at Tiger Park in Belle Plaine.

Haugo allowed a sac fly to put the Rockets ahead before getting a strikeout to end the inning. Haugo pitched one complete inning before his day ended after allowing a pair of doubles, one being an RBI double to Jeseritz in right-center. Stark draftee Dylan Klein took the mound for Haugo after that and after an intentional walk to Tyler Steen, Ditmarson doubled again to score two and put Raymond up 5-1.

Ditmarson finished going 2 for 5 with his two doubles and three RBIs to lead Raymond at the plate.

Ditmarson’s second double brought Tori Helget to the mound in relief of Klein.

Nelson wasn’t bothered by the pitching change as he singled in another pair of runs for a 7-1 Raymond lead. Later in the inning, Cooper Dack had a two-run single to left for a 9-1 Raymond lead. Noah Neperman took the mound in the eighth for Springfield, which Steen welcomed with a solo home run over the fence in right field for a 10-1 lead.

Another pair of runners reached on an error and a walk with two outs, but Neperman didn’t allow any more damage as he forced a pop out to end the inning.

Springfield was on the lead early in the second inning after Aiden Moriarty, who went 1 for 3 at the plate, doubled to right-center and Brandon Wilhelmi sac bunted him to third. Ashtin Johnson, who also went 1 for 3, singled in Moriarty for a 1-0 Tigers lead.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, Johnson was the last runner to reach base for them until an error allowed Wilhelmi to take first base in the eighth.

Springfield finishes the season 14-8 overall with the loss. Raymond (20-6) will next play in the second round of the state tournament against the Young America Cardinals (25-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Green Isle.