The ceremonial Gatorade bucket came a day late, but the feeling was still alive for the Riverland Community College baseball team.

The Blue Devils (18-10, 17-7) qualified for the Region XIII Tournament with a doubleheader sweep of North Hennepin Friday in Minneapolis and elevated the excitement with a pair of 10-run routs of Anoka-Ramsey Saturday in Austin.

Riverland first-year coach Dave Meyer got the Gatorade bucket from Austin High graduate Clint Ripley after Saturday's sweep of the Golden Rams.

"You've gotta believe," a semi-soaked Meyer said after the games. "We've got a lot of team unity, we've got such a good chemistry. For a team that they said probably wouldn't win too many games to be going to Regionals, the good Lord must be smiling down on me.

"I'm so proud of these guys. They come out and play hard every day."

Riverland rocked Anoka-Ramsey 11-1 and 10-0 in two run-rule shortened five-inning games Saturday to secure their second-place standing behind Ridgewater College in the Minnesota Community College Conference's Southern Division. Ridgewater, who escaped with four wins over Riverland this season, coincidentally hosts the Region XIII Tournament May 10-12 in Willmar.

"I wanted to get to Regionals, that's the most important thing," said Blue Devil freshman Michael Nastav, who leads Riverland with six home runs this season. "We've played (Ridgewater) tough every game, we'll beat them. We just want another shot at them."

Nastav hit his sixth home run -- a solo blast -- in Riverland's first of two wins Friday at North Hennepin. Ripley threw the complete-game 6-3 victory with three strikeouts and no walks. A suicide squeeze bunt by Jeff Kvam plated the game-winning run in the top of the sixth, and the Devils added two more in the seventh.

In game two, sophomore Derek Bonser got his first collegiate victory with a complete-game three-hitter, a 5-2 Riverland win. Bonser got flawless defense behind him with no strikouts and two walks in seven innings of work.

Riverland hammers Rams

Riverland ignited the fireworks with a seven-run second inning in Saturday's opener with Anoka-Ramsey. Sean Breslin went the distance for the victory, allowing four hits against four strikeouts in the 11-1 win.

Nastav finished 4-4 with a double, a triple and six RBIs, while Nate Vollbrecht was 2-3 with two doubles and three runs scored. Josh Kunze went 2-3 with a run scored to highlight the Devils' 12-hit attack.

In the nightcap, Vollbrecht and Matt Nalan each had two hits and two RBIs, and Nastav drove in two more in the 10-0 rout. Riverland broke the ice with a suicide squeeze bunt by Josh Ramaker in the second, plating Jamie Morrison as the eventual game-winner. Riverland racked up six runs in the second inning and four more in the third.

After clearing the fence on a foul ball down the right-field line in the second inning, Jeff Geisler hit his first career home run to spark the Devils in the third.

"I didn't even think about that (foul ball)," Geisler said. "I was just looking for a base hit. I got the sweet spot on it and it got out of here."

Jacob Frey added an RBI-triple later in the third, and Vollbrecht drove him home with a single.

John Roesler struck out six, walked one, and allowed two hits in the complete-game victory.

"The pitching has been phenominal, the bats have been coming alive, we're running on all gears," Coach Meyer said.

Riverland's first-round game at Regionals will likely be Friday at 11 a.m. in Willmar. The winner of Regionals advances to the National Junior College World Series in Batavia, N.Y., May 18-24.

Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at :mailto:sports@austindailyherald.com.

Linescores:

Friday

Game One

Riverland0001212--672

N.Hennepin0020100--374

Ripley and Kunze; Kushiol and Van Dall.

Game Two

Riverland0102002--5100

N.Hennepin0000110--230

Bonser and Kunze; Payne and Harm.

Saturday

Game One

A-R00001--141

Riverland07013--11120

Henke and Schmidt; Breslin and Kunze.

Game Two

A-R00000--021

Riverland0640x--1091

Daiker, Nold (2), Molitor (3) and Schmidt; Roesler and Kunze.