The Vermilion Ironhawks were in dire need of a win Sunday afternoon, and TJ Frein made sure it happened.
The sophomore lefthander worked out of a bases-loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back strikeouts and then delivered a key run-scoring hit in the top of the eighth as the community college baseball team got past rival Mesabi 10-6 in eight innings at Rock Ridge.
Frein, who is from Bloomington, gained his third win of the season on the mound and raised his batting average to a sizzling .404 as the Ironhawks salvaged the final game of an otherwise disappointing four-game, Northern Division set.
The Ironhawks (10-16) lost the opening game Sunday 11-10 despite outhitting the Norse, and Vermilion’s pitching went south in 20-9 and 7-1 defeats on Saturday.
Vermilion was in danger of falling out of the division race on Sunday, but Frein and starting pitcher Caiden Peters delivered.
Peters, a graduate of Simley in Inver Grove Heights worked into the sixth inning and only walked two batters and Frein was effective in relief After Mesabi tied the game with a squeeze bunt, Frein got two strikeouts to escape further damage.
That set the stage for the eighth, when pinch hitter Jo Jo Taverna singled in Brandon Rucka to break a five-all deadlock. Aidan Brandenburg’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed to bring in two runs, and both Frein and Martin Cubillan drove in runs to add to the lead.
For the game, both Frein and Matthew Riehl tripled in runs, Rucka had a two-run double and both Riehl and Brandenburg scored twice.
In the opening contest, Vermilion nearly came back from an 11-5 deficit and stranded the tying run at third in the top of the seventh.
Louie Panichi was threefor- four with two runs batted in for Vermilion and teammate Griffin Stiel had a tworun double. Cubillan, Rucka and Cole Smith all added two hits for the Ironhawks.
Vermi l ion pit cher s walked or hit 13 Mesabi batters, but freshman Brecken Boisvert helped put out the fire, fanning four batters in two-and-one-third innings of relief.
The Ironhawks had few highlights in the opening game loss to Mesabi on Saturday, as the Norse scored 15 runs in the top of the fifth to put things away.
Frein and Panichi had two hits each and Stiel drove in two runs.
Vermilion was held to four hits by the Norse’s Caleb Jacinto in the nightcap.
If field conditions allow, the Ironhawks will make their home debut Sunday at Veterans Memorial Field, with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Rainy River.
