Ely’s American Legion baseball team has one of the deepest pitching staffs and stingiest defenses in the area.
Post 248 needed both on Sunday to emerge from a stiff playoff test.
Ely and Proctor hooked up in an instant classic at Veterans Memorial Field, and the hosts emerged with a 1-0 victory to win the Division II Northeast Substate North Pod championship.
Caid Chittum blanked Proctor on four hits and worked out of jams in both the fourth and sixth innings, while Evan Leeson’s two-out single plated Owen Marolt with the game’s only run.
That proved enough for Ely, which improved to 18-2 and earned the number-one seed for the substate Final Four, which started Friday at Proctor.
So far, Ely’s impressive season has been powered by pitching and defense, with Post 248 allowing only eight runs in its last six games and 10 over the last nine.
The strong run has fueled hopes of a second consecutive state tournament berth, but Ely will need to get past Hinckley, Walker and Proctor to advance to state, which is set for July 31-Aug. 2 at Glenwood.
“When you pitch and play defense you’ll always have a chance, and I think we’re playing with a lot of confidence right now,” said head coach Tom Coombe. “That’s going to be important this weekend as we play away from home.”
Home-field advantage came into play Sunday. After a week off because of the wildfires, Ely played host to two North Pod opponents before an enthusiastic home crowd.
After a 17-2, five-inning win earlier Sunday, the stage was set for the winners’ bracket showdown with Proctor.
Chittum and Proctor’s Tyler Berglund dueled it out.
Berglund retired the first eight batters he faced before Ben Leeson drew a two-out walk in the third. Leeson was thrown out trying to score from second on Drew Johnson’s single.
Proctor had a runner cut down at the plate in the top of the third, while the visitors put the first two runners aboard in the fourth.
Chittum, who ran his record to 3-0 for the summer, worked out of the jam.
In the bottom of the fourth, Ely threatened as Tyde Brecke reached base on a walk and Owen Marolt beat out a bunt single.
Proctor seemed to have escaped when Brecke was tagged out at the plate on a botched squeeze attempt, but Evan Leeson came through with a two-out single to left that plated Marolt.
Berglund held Ely in check the rest of the way, but Proctor put two runners aboard in the sixth before Chittum escaped with a strikeout.
The Ely righthander set down Proctor in order in the seventh, two by strikeout to finish with seven on the day.
“Caid dominated on the mound and our defense came through when it had to,” said Coombe. “Tyde Brecke made a couple of really nice catches in the outfield and Evan Leeson stepped in at short for Caid and we didn’t miss a beat.”
• In Sunday’s opening game, Sean Merriman’s bases- clearing double fueled an eight-run second inning and Ely won easily against International Falls.
Pitchers from the visiting team had trouble finding the strike zone and Ely capitalized with some clutch hits.
Chittum, Drew Johnson and Evan Leeson all had two hits, with Leeson and Chittum finishing with two runs batted in.
Merriman added four RBI, backing the pitching of Hunter Halbakken, who pitched all five innings, scattering five hits and finishing with six strikeouts.
So far this summer, Halbakken is 5-1 on the mound.
• Ely ended the regular season ranked third in the state among Division II American Legion Baseball teams in Minnesota.
The St. Cloud Chutes go into the postseason ranked first, with Montevideo, Ely, Sleepy Eye and Dilworth rounding out the top-five.
