By Scott A. Kolb
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN 

Sweeping a doubleheader from Rochester on Saturday at Seltz Field put the Riverland Blue Devils baseball team back in the state tournament for the first time in six years.

The Blue Devils pitched their mound aces, Brandon Huhn and Brady Banse, against the Rochester Community and Technical College Yellowjackets.

Riverland won the opener 6-2, and then completed the sweep with a 7-2 win in the late game of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference, South Division doubleheader.

Huhn not only pitched the Blue Devils to victory in the first game, he also hit a two-run home run in the third inning. Huhn hit a long ball in each game as the Blue Devils took a pair of games from their biggest rivals.

"Anytime we can beat RCTC, it's a big deal because they're a rival," Riverland coach Scott Koenigs said. "With the sweep, we've now won 13 games in a row and it officially puts us in the state tourney."

Banse recorded seven strikeouts to get the win in the late game. Zach Vlietstra finished the final couple of innings in relief. The Blue Devils broke it open late with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and then, three more in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"Our top two pitchers did a good job, they didn't walk people and let our defense make the plays," Koenigs said.

"We count our pitching and defense and they got it done. I was also happy with the bats as we had eight hits in the opener and seven hits in the late game, so it was a good day for the offense."

Riverland (30-7, 8-2 MCAC South) is currently ranked No. 10 in the nation for NJCAA, Division III teams.

RIVERLAND 6, RCTC 2

First game

RCTC 000 001 1 -- 2 3 4

Riverland 024 000 x -- 6 8 2

Riverland: Zach Vlietstra 1-4, SB; Shawn Pape 1-4; Brandon Huhn 1-3, HR, HBP, run, 2 RBIs; Andy Behnke 1-3, run; Shane Lange 1-3, 2 runs; Derek Emanuel 1-3, 2 RBIs; Corey Fieckert 0-0, SB, run; Brian Voigt 1-3, SB, RBI; Chris Lindemann 1-2, HBP, RBI. WP: Huhn 7 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 HB, 7 K.

RIVERLAND 7, RCTC 2

Second game

RCTC 000 002 0 -- 2 2 1

Riverland 100 033 x -- 7 7 1

Riverland: Vlietstra 1-2, HBP, walk, SB, 3 runs; Pape 0-2, 2 walks, run; Kyle Starkey 2-3, 3B, walk, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Huhn 1-3, walk, HR, run, 2 RBIs; Behnke 1-3, 2 RBis; Lange 2-2, walk; Emanuel 0-2, walk, Voigt 0-1, 2 walks. WP: Brady Banse 5 1/3 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K. SV: Vlietstra 1 2/3, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 1 K.