Robbie Nieweg and Jase Blanco combined to no-hit the Northgate Reds on Monday and lead the Ripon Dodgers to an 8-0 five-inning mercy-rule win in the in the quarterfinals of the District 67 10U Tournament of Champions at Brock Elliott School.

Nieweg struck out two in the first inning and pitched into the second when he walked the first batter, making way for Blanco. Two fielder’s choices and a strikeout later, Blanco was out of the inning. He retired the next nine batters he faced behind six more strikeouts before the mercy rule was invoked midway through the fifth inning.

Ripon’s big inning was the five-run third. Ryan Perez (run) led off the frame with a walk and Blanco (two runs) followed with a single.  Nieweg (RBI, two runs) walked to load the bases and Perez scored on a bases-loaded walk to Trent Koolhaas (two RBI, double, two runs). Keegan Heuvel (three RBI, double, run) then emptied the bases with a bases-loaded double and scored on a single by Luke Sanders.

The Dodgers got the three more runs required to invoke the mercy rule in the fourth inning. Perez again walked to start the inning, but he was forced on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Blanco. Nieweg legged out a two-out infield single to plate Blanco and Nieweg came in on a Koolhaas double. Koolhaas also came in on his own double when the ball was misplayed twice, allowing him to round the bases for the game’s final run.

Northgate faces Weston Ranch in a consolation contest and on Thursday Ripon and Manteca square off in the semifinals. Both games are at 5:30 p.m. at Brock Elliott.