A pivotal win on Wednesday for Ely’s high school baseball team all but secured the number two seed in the upcoming Section 7A playoffs.
Junior Owen Marolt had three hits, including a home run, and recorded the last four outs on the mound to lift the Timberwolves to a 5-3 victory at Cherry.
Ely improved to 11-7 and put some distance between itself and the Tigers in advance of playoff seeding, which will be completed over the weekend.
The Timberwolves are assured of a 7A playoff home game Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., and the win at Cherry essentially ensured that the second round of 7A action will take place at Ely’s Veterans Memorial Field on Thursday, starting at 2 p.m.
Senior Hunter Halbakken, who has a perfect 7-0 record on the mound, worked into and out of trouble at Cherry and was backed by strong defense.
The Tigers came up empty in the bottom of the second despite loading the bases with no outs, and they finally got to Halbakken with a twoout rally in the sixth that led to three runs.
But by then, Ely had built a 5-0 lead and Marolt came on in the sixth to slam the door, and he retired the Tigers in order in the seventh.
Marolt’s fifth-inning home run helped cement the win and was one of his three hits on the day.
Halbakken doubled and singled in a run for the Wolves, and Marolt also finished with two runs batted in. Both Sean Merriman and Drew Johnson singled and scored.
Defending 7A champion South Ridge will have the top seed for the playoffs, while Ely is in line to be number two, and Cherry third.
The Wolves and Tigers could have a 7A playoff rematch on Thursday in Ely, and the final four teams in the tournament advance to semifinal action slated for Tuesday, June 2, at Hibbing.
South Ridge beat Ely in last year’s 7A finals and the Wolves have reached the final four in the 7A playoffs in 11 of the last 15 seasons, winning section championships in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017 and finishing as 7A runners-up in 2019, 2022 and 2025.
• The Wolves went 2-1 in last weekend’s Veterans Memorial Showcase in Ely.
In the opening game, Halbakken and the Wolves blanked Class AA Pine City.
On the mound, the Ely senior dominated, tossing a one-hitter, striking out eight and walking only two.
He was also backed by stellar defense as infielders Johnson, Marolt and Evan Leeson all made key plays to take away Dragon hits.
Halbakken also singled in the Wolves’ first run in the bottom of the fourth, and junior Stig Majerus followed with a two-run double.
Junior Tyde Brecke added two hits.
In Saturday’s first game, Brecke went four-for-four and Marolt got the win on the mound as the Wolves downed West Marshall 8-2.
Brecke also scored three runs, Majerus had two hits and three runs batted in, and Marolt ripped three hits.
Marolt also tossed a complete- game six-hitter with seven strikeouts.
Esko scored seven first-inning runs in the Saturday night finale but had to hold off a late Wolves charge in a 9-8 decision.
Ely stranded both the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh and left the bases loaded in the sixth.
Johnson went two-forfour for the Wolves, and Majerus added two hits, while both Leeson and Merriman scored two runs.
Senior Jack Davies settled in after a rough first inning and worked six and twothirds innings.
