The Burnsville American Legion baseball team scored all of its runs in the third through fifth innings in a 15-5 rout of Omaha Westside in the Central Plains regional championship game Monday in Fargo, N.D., capping an unbeaten (5-0) run through the tournament.
Burnsville (35-10) advanced to the American Legion World Series, which runs Friday through Aug. 20 in Shelby, N.C. It will open the tournament Friday morning against Great Lakes region champion Napoleon, Ohio.
Infielder Tyler Hanson went 5-for-5 with two RBI for Burnsville, which had 20 hits Monday and took advantage of four Westside errors. Hanson batted .563 in the regional.
Tyler Hill drove in four runs and Eric Watters and Camden Traetow had three hits each. Aaron Rozek got the victory.
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• The Saints had three runners thrown out at home — two in the 10th inning — and a costly throwing error in the top of the 11th proved to be the difference in a 1-0 loss to the Sioux Falls Canaries at Midway Stadium. It was the team's third 1-0 loss of the season. Saints starter Anthony Claggett gave up three hits in nine innings, retiring 17 in a row in one stretch. He walked one and struck out six. The teams play again Tuesday afternoon.
• St. John's has added John Gans, who played for the Johnnies last season, and Kole Heckendorf to its football staff. Gans will instruct Johnnies linebackers and defensive scout teams. Heckendorf, who ended a four-year career at North Dakota State in 2008 as the Bison's career receptions leader, will coach tight ends and receivers. St. John's opens practice on Wednesday.
