Hot streak for Ely Juniors
by Tom Coombe
Ely’s 14-and-under baseball team was cooled down a bit on Wednesday night, but only after a five-game winning streak.
International Falls scored 10 runs in the top of the seventh and rallied for a 15-8 victory over Ely in Iron Range Baseball action at Veterans Memorial Field.
The defeat came after several strong performances, including an 8-2 win at Greenway on Monday and a lopsided doubleheader sweep of Cook County on July 16,
Ely (7-6) rode the pitching of Brecken Sandberg at Greenway.
The righthander struck out 10 while going the distance, allowing just one hit.
A four-run explosion in the first provided all the offense Sandberg would need.
A two-run single by Caid Chittum was the key blow, and both Deegan Richards and Drew Marolt had base hits to open the inning.
Sammy Prijatel added two hits and Ty Walker drove in a run.
Some defensive lapses were costly against International Falls.
Ely took a 7-5 lead into the top of the seventh, but the visitors sent 15 batters to the plate and took advantage of several errors.
Drew Marolt worked six strong innings before giving way to Walker during the seventh-inning uprising.
Sam Leeson scored three times for Ely and singled in a run during a four-run fourth.
Sandberg singled in a run while Kadein Zupancich singled and scored.
Ely took the nightcap 5-4, with Prijatel driving in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth.
Max Cochran started the comeback by reaching base on an error.
Prijatel picked up the pitching win in relief of Walker. They combined to yield four hits with five strikeouts.
Marolt fired a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts as Ely drilled Cook County10-0 in the first game of a home twinbill.
In the bottom of the second, Ely erupted with six runs as Sandberg, Prijatel and Leeson all had run-scoring hits.
Sandberg finished with two hits and two runs scored, and both Marolt and Deegan Richards scored twice.
Chittum was on the hill, followed by Walker and Sandberg in a 10-0, second-game win.
Chittum went two frames and notched five strikeouts while the two relievers combined to give up two hits with five more strikeouts.
At the plate, Chittum went two-for-three, Sam Leeson scored two runs and Ben Leeson drove in a run with a base hit. Cochran singled and scored and Tory Hughley scored twice.
Ely visits Cook County for a Monday afternoon rematch and wraps up the regular season, at home, Wednesday against Aurora. The IRB Playoffs will be held in Ely with first-round games Aug. 4, followed by a full slate of action Aug. 7-9.
