The Dragons rode the arm of Jake Stamer to a 4-0 win over Heron Lake Okabena in the first round of the Section 3A playoffs.
Stamer got in a jam in the first inning, as HL-O loaded the bases with one out in the inning. Stamer then got a strikeout and a slow roller back to himself to get out of the inning without allowing a run. The Dragons would go quietly in the bottom half of the inning.
Neither team scored a run in the second inning. Stamer then got the Wildcats in order in the top half of the third. Alex Loosbrock started the bottom half of the third by getting hit by a pitch. Zach Hendel bunted him over to second and the next Dragon hitter grounded out. Nate Lonneman came to the plate and hit a clutch base hit back up the middle to score Loosbrock and make the game 1-0 Adrian.
Stamer would again retire HL-O in order in the fourth. Adrian added another run to their lead as Zack Loosbrock hit his fourth home run of the season in the inning. After four the game stood at 2-0 Adrian.
Stamer shut down HL-O again in the fifth, and Adrian was unable to score in the bottom half despite an Alex Loosbrock single. In the sixth, Stamer allowed his first baserunner since the second inning, but still held the Wildcats scoreless. Zack Loosbrock doubled in the bottom half of the sixth. He reached third base on a wild pitch. Mitchell Wagner got hit by a pitch and stole second to put runners at second and third with two outs. Landon Rogers then gave the Dragons some insurance by driving home both runners with a line drive single. Adrian held a 4-0 lead going into the seventh inning.
Stamer continued to dominate in the final frame as he once again did not allow a baserunner in the inning.
Zack Loosbrock led the Dragons at the plate with two hits, including a HR and a 2B. Landon Rogers had a hit and two RBI. Alex Loosbrock had a hit, while Mitchell Wagner scored a run.
Stamer went the distance on the mound, only allowing two hits in the game. At one point, Stamer had set down 13 hitters in a row.
The Dragon win advanced them to the double elimination portion of the tournament.
