Ely’s Junior Legion baseball team is out to defend its substate title this weekend, and will open its quest for a second consecutive state tournament appearance Sunday at Veterans Memorial Field.
Post 248 has the number- one seed for the Northeast Substate playoffs, which because of a late withdrawal by Esko, will only be a threeteam affair.
Ely tangles with Proctor at 1 p.m. and Cherry at 6 p.m. Sunday at the home ballpark, and those two opponents will play each other at 3:30 p.m.
The title game in the tournament is Monday at 5 p.m., with a second game if needed to follow.
Whoever emerges from the three-team field advances to Hayfield for the state tournament Aug. 8-10.
Ely won the substate crown a year ago and went to the state tournament at St. Charles, and many of the same players are back for Post 248.
During the regular season, Ely swept its substate foes and takes a 12-6 record into the tournament.
Ely closed out the regular season July 17, sweeping Blackduck 7-6 and 8-7.
In both games, Ely came from behind to win, including wiping out a 6-2 deficit in the opener.
Post 248 pulled it out with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, and Tyde Brecke finished with three runs batted in during the game while Sean Merriman singled and drove in two runs.
Merriman got the win in relief of starting pitcher Cedar Holman, working two innings and allowing one hit.
Holman went five innings, giving up all six runs on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
In the nightcap, Stig Majerus doubled to the fence to deliver the walkoff win.
He also picked up the win, giving up five hits and striking out four in three innings. Merriman started, went two innings and did not yield an earned run.
At the plate for Ely, Parker Niskala drove in two runs and teammate John Warren had two hits and a run batted in. Owen Marolt also singled in a run.
