Locals split in 18th Ely Classic
It was an up-and-down weekend for Ely’s American Legion baseball team in the 18th annual Ely Legion Classic.The local squad went 2-2 in the five-team event, beating St. Charles and Esko but falling to Litchfield and Two Harbors.Phil Brodeen tossed a six-hitter as Ely topped St. Charles 5-2 in a June 24 game.Moberly fanned 13 hitters en route to a complete-game four-hitter the next night, during a 10-4 triumph over Esko.Litchfield roughed up Ely for six first-inning runs and went on to a 12-2 victory, and Nick Furnstahl suffered the tough-luck loss last Sunday, when Two Harbors blanked Post 248 2-0.Ely 5, St. Charles 2Brodeen won his third decision of the summer and kept St. Charles at bay with his array of off-speed pitches.In the second, Ely scored four times on run-scoring two-out hits by Paul Starkovich, Jordan Richards, Jake Curtiss and Aaron Thom.Kevin Pope walked and scored in the sixth for Ely’s only other run.St. Charles, which qualified for the state Class AA high school tournament, pushed runs across in the third and fifth against Brodee, who struck out two and issued just one walk.Litchfield 12, Ely 2Two bad innings did Ely in. Litchfield scored six runs on seven hits in the first and plated five more in the sixth.Ely was held to three hits and got its only runs in the third, when hits by Pope and Thom led to runs.Richards was the losing pitcher and Billy Tibbetts worked in relief.Ely 10, Esko 4Ely scored nine runs in the first three innings, including five in the third, and cruised to the win.Pope, Curtiss, Thom and Brodeen all had two hits for Ely, which belted 12 hits in the contest.Moberly recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts.Two Harbors 2, Ely 0Unearned runs in the fourth and sixth spoiled a strong pitching effort by Furnstahl, who allowed six hits with no walks in his Legion debut.Alex Cavallin was just as strong on the mound for Two Harbors, throwing a three-hitter with two strikeouts.Thom, Curtiss and Richards had Ely’s only hits.• Litchfield won the tournament with a 4-0 record, followed by Two Harbors (3-1), Ely (2-2), St. Charles (1-3) and Esko (0-4).
