Your Prep Sports

West Branch has picked the perfect time to gets its offense rolling.

The Bears scored double digit runs for the third time this season, all coming in the last four games, hammering 10 hits in a 10-5 win over Williamsburg (4-14) in a Class 2A, District 9 quarterfinal on Saturday in Williamsburg.

With the win West Branch (6-9) advanced to the District 9 semifinal where it will face Class 2A sixth-ranked Mid-Prairie (12-3) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Wellman.

West Branch scored in each of the first three innings on Saturday in a game that was delayed more than an hour by rain.

The Bears used a four-run second inning that featured a three-run home run by Tanner Lukavsky to build a 6-1 lead they would never give up.

West Branch hadn’t scored double digit runs in a game until plating 11 in a win at Northeast on July 3.

The Bears exploded for 17 wins in its regular season finale against Wilton before putting up 10 in its postseason opener on Saturday.

Trey Eagle went 3-for-4 with a triple and scored three runs to headline the Bear offensive attack while Lukavsky had a pair of hits including his three-run homer.

Gage Gingerich had a pair of hits, drove in a run and scored a run and Cael Fiderlein doubled, drove in two runs and scored a run.

Peter Espensen had a hit and drove in a run and Matt Paulsen had a hit and scored twice.

Paulsen got the win, allowing five runs, one earned, on three hits while walking two and striking out nine in 3 2/3 innings.

Lucas Pierce worked 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit while striking out six.

The win earns West Branch a rematch with Mid-Prairie.

The Golden Hawks have won five straight including a 9-1 win at West Branch on July 2.

West Branch              141  020  2  –  10  10  2

Williamsburg            014  000  0  –   5    4   0

W – Matt Paulsen                   L – Luke Peters

2B – WB: Cael Fiderlein

3B – WB: Trey Eagle

HR – WB: Tanner Lukavsky. WIL: Brody Wardenburg.

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