Six up, six down for Ely

Sixes were wild Tuesday night at International Falls.
Ely scored six times in the first two innings, Ely pitchers yielded only six hits and the result was the sixth straight win this summer - without a loss - for the Senior Babe Ruth (Legion-age) baseball team.
Senior Bryce Longwell gained his second pitching win in as many starts, Cam McRoberts notched two strikeouts en route to the save and Ely did just enough at the plate to hang on for a 6-5 win against its district rival.
Ely (6-0) returned to the field after a July 4 hiatus and for the first time since Dalton Schreffler notched 11 strikeouts in a 4-3, July 1 win over Taconite.
Add a 17-6 win at Hibbing to the mix, and Ely is clicking heading into this weekend’s 10-team Sir G’s Midsummer Classic, set for Veterans Memorial Field.
“It’s been a great start,” said head coach Tom Coombe. “It all starts with pitching and our pitchers have thrown strikes every game. Our defense has been pretty good, except for a couple of lapses at the Falls, and this is just a good experienced, group. They don’t get too rattled which is important in baseball.”
Ely has been buoyed by the return of three college freshmen, with Trevor Mattson leading the team in runs batted in and Tyler Housey, a starter at Vermilion, ripping nine hits in his last 11 at bats. Ryan Quick rounds out the experienced trio.
Add several seniors to the mix, and Ely boasts one of the more veteran teams in the Eighth District.
That has paid off early in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, and with teams entering play without the repetitions gained during a spring high school season.
Longwell only struck out one batter at International Falls, but he was backed by two double-play balls.
Ely struck early against International Falls’ ace - college freshman Blaine Humbert.
In the top of the first, Ely scored four times on just two hits, and the top of the order served as sparkplugs.
Schreffler and Nils DeRemee both scored in the first, and both drew walks and scored in the second as well.
Ely would manage only three hits the rest of the way and the hosts clawed back.
Trailing 6-2, International Falls scored two unearned runs in the sixth and McRoberts escaped the jam with a key strikeout.
A hit batsman and an error led to a run in the seventh, but Schreffler threw out the would-be tying run at home on a ground ball, and McRoberts escaped further trouble.
Catcher Will Davies had two hits for the winners, and McRoberts singled in a run.
A fast start was also the difference against Taconite, as Ely scored three first-inning runs to take a commanding lead.
Housey finished with two hits, DeRemee scored twice and Mattson added a run-scoring double.
Taconite scored all three of its runs in the fourth inning against Schreffler, but the VCC-bound righthander retired 10 of the last 11 men he faced and finished with a seven-hittter and a double-digit strikeout performance.
McRoberts had a first-inning grand slam and a two-run single in the fifth, powering the offense in the June 30 rout at Hibbing.
Housey went four-for-five with five runs scored, while Zach Cheney scored three runs and DeRemee crossed home plate twice.
Mattson came on in relief of starter Danny Crockett to gain the win, working three-and-one-third innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts.