Sports

JUNE 6 SPORTS REPORT

Publisher — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 12:09:53 +0000

JUNE 6 SPORTS REPORT

Publisher Fri, 01/06/2023 - 13:09

Fans of local sports broadcasts now have a new option to follow area teams.
Ely Echo’s website now features a daily sports report from editor Tom Coombe, and the Echo is exploring internet broadcast streaming for selected games involving Ely High School and Vermilion Community College teams.

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NER/Ely girls take second in 7A golf meet

Publisher — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:38:26 +0000

NER/Ely girls take second in 7A golf meet

The Northeast Range/Ely girls golf team finished second in the section and Abby Koivisto finished third, qualifying her for the Class A State Golf Tournament.. Pictured are: Ruby Milton, Danica Sunblad, Abby Koivisto, Maizy Sunblad, Via DeBeltz and Carena DeBeltz.

Publisher Fri, 06/02/2023 - 02:38

Koivisto finishes third overall and earns return trip to state

by Tom Coombe

Abby Koivisto is going back to the state meet.

The Northeast Range junior punched her ticket with a big comeback on the second day of the Section 7A golf meet at Virginia.

Koivisto carded an 18-hole 90 on May 24, climbing from fifth place to third place overall and winning a return trip to the State Class A event set for Becker June 12-13.

Meanwhile, the combined Northeast Range/Ely team finished second among four squads in the event.

The Nighthawks moved up a spot on the second day to record an overall team score of 392, a dozen strokes behind team champion Pine River-Backus. They finished ahead of both Cass Lake-Bena and Nevis.

Koivisto was in fifth place with a 93 after the opening 18 holes, but she stepped up her game and moved up to third on the second day.

Just missing a state bid was sophomore Maizy Sundblad, who slipped from second and wound up ninth overall with scores of 90 and 106 for a total of 196.

Winning the 7A title was Walker-Hackensack-Akeley’s Kianna Johnson at 168.

Other Nighthawk finishers were Cylvia DeBeltz (12th, 211), Danica Sundblad (13th, 212), Carena DeBeltz (19th, 229) and Ruby Milton (24th, 252).

In the 7A boys meet, only the top-four boys team finishers advanced from the first day to the second and the Nighthawks were eliminated from contention after the first 18 holes.

The Nighthawks’ only second-day participant was Ely junior Tommy Homer, who recorded a 100 to finish with an overall score of 189, and in a tie for 31st place.

Sammy Prijatel was unable to compete on the second day after firing an opening round 91, while the Nighthawks’ Lewis Powell (103), Wes Sandy (109), Ryland Sandy (121) and Robert Towley (127) were eliminated after the opening round.

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Junior Legion tourney opens busy summer

Publisher — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:26:40 +0000

Junior Legion tourney opens busy summer Publisher Fri, 06/02/2023 - 02:26

Post 248 starts summer season with six-team event June 9-11

Ely’s summer baseball season will get underway next weekend with its annual season-opening event.

The z’Up North Realty Classic kicks off a busy summer of action at Veterans Memorial Field, with six teams taking part in an event that begins June 9 and runs through Sunday, June 11.

Ely takes on Staples-Motley in the opening night finale, while Post 248 meets Grand Rapids, Cloquet and Moose Lake-Barnum during the weekend. Hermantown rounds out the field of teams.

This marks the sixth year that Ely will play Junior Legion rather than VFW baseball, as the local baseball program has joined many others across the state in making the switch in the age 16-and-under ranks.

It’s a big year for Junior Legion baseball in Ely, with Veterans Memorial Field serving as the site of the Division II Substate Tournament, a nine-team event to determine the area’s state tournament qualifier. That event runs the week of July 24 and will finish the weekend of July 29-30.

Ely’s Junior Legion team will be led by longtime coach Jim Wittrup.

Practices begin this week for Ely’s age 14/under summer baseball group, which will once again play in the Iron Range League with regular season action to begin on June 12.

Senior Legion action is tentatively set to begin Thursday, with a game at Two Harbors, although that contest could be pushed back if Ely’s high school team remains alive in the Section 7A playoffs.

Ely will host its annual DQ Senior Legion Classic June 16-18, with the 10-team Sir G’s Midsummer Classic on deck for July 7-9, and opening round contests in Northeast Substate Tournament to follow July 15-16.

To cap off a busy summer, the region’s age 14 and under teams will come to the historic ballpark for the 10th Annual Iron Range Baseball League Tournament, set for Aug. 4-6.

• Registration remains open for Ely’s summer baseball teams, with registration forms available online and from area coaches.

Registration will also take place Monday at 6 p.m. during a brief meeting at Veterans Memorial Field.

Contact Tom Coombe at (218) 235-1025 or Frank Ivancich at 235-1464 for further information.

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Wolves hope for an encore; Playoffs begin Tuesday

Publisher — Fri, 26 May 2023 15:35:07 +0000

Wolves hope for an encore; Playoffs begin Tuesday

Publisher Fri, 05/26/2023 - 17:35

by Tom Coombe

For the Ely Timberwolves, the circumstances are eerily similar.

It was 52 weeks ago that, after an up-and-down regular season, the high school baseball team gelled during the playoffs and made a run all the way to the Section 7A title game.

This year the Wolves head into the postseason, which starts Tuesday at home, in nearly the same situation.

Ely is likely to be seeded third or fourth in the section, and has been inconsistent, particularly at the plate, during the stretch run.

The Wolves bounced back from a loss to Rock Ridge on Monday with a 7-1 home victory over International Falls on Wednesday.

Senior Logan Loe went the distance, tossing a five-hitter with four strikeouts and not allowing an earned run.

Loe anchors a solid Ely pitching staff going into the tournament, which is led by four-time defending 7A champion South Ridge, but the Wolves’ bats will have to warm up if they are to make another deep run.

“Going into our last week of games we can only hope that our luck will change and we can start to deliver in clutch situations and be able to score some runs,” said head coach Frank Ivancich.

Clutch hitting was in short supply Monday, when Ely outhit Class AA section contender Rock Ridge but lost 4-0.

Junior Drew Marolt took the tough-luck loss, giving up only three hits, and the Wolves threatened but did not score in the third, fifth and sixth frames.

The Wolverines took advantage of two Marolt walks in the opening inning and scored all the runs that winning pitcher Dylan Hedley would need.

Ely was a little better at the plate against International Falls, which also plays up
a class in AA and Loe kept the Broncos off the board on the way to the win.

Senior Joey Bianco ignited the Ely offense from the top of the order, ripping three hits and scoring three runs.

Loe, fellow senior Preston Hines and Marolt all had run-scoring hits.

Ely figures to be seeded behind South Ridge, Cherry and perhaps Barnum in the 13-team tournament, which starts Tuesday at home sites and continues into double-elimination play at South Ridge and Cherry Thursday.

The final four and title rounds are set for June 5 and 7, respectively.

Tuesday’s game times will be determined once seeding is finalized this weekend.

• The Wolves won two of three games in the Veterans Memorial Showcase, with two lopsided wins surrounding a tight 4-3 defeat to Cherry.

Loe and the Tigers’ Noah Asuma hooked up in quite a pitching duel, and a two-run double by Marolt helped the Wolves to a 3-1 lead after one inning.

Asuma’s home run closed the gap in the fourth and the Tigers plated the tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the sixth, with Noah Sundquist’s double the key blow.

Ely threatened in the bottom of the seventh but stranded two runners against Asuma, who tossed a complete-game three hitter and fanned seven.

Loe was solid in defeat, allowing seven hits while striking out five.

In a game played before much of the student body May 19, Ely hammered Carlton-Wrenshall 22-4 in five innings.

Loe, Caid Chittum and Jack Davies all had two hits and two runs batted in for the Wolves, who capitalized on numerous walks and errors.

Deegan Richards knocked in three runs and had a two-run double in the contest.

On the mound, Elliot Levens and Davies combined on a two-hitter. Levens struck out three and Davies recorded four strikeouts.

The Wolves banged out 16 hits Saturday in a 21-0, five-inning thrashing of an overmatched St. Paul Harding team.

Chittum’s first career home run, a grand slam, capped a day in which he had four hits and seven RBI.

Hines and Richards scores three runs each, while Levens and Drew Johnson chipped in with two hits. Marolt added at two-run double.

Marolt struck out three in two innings of work, with Johnson and Richards following on the mound.

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Ely out of softball playoffs

Publisher — Fri, 26 May 2023 15:28:15 +0000

Ely out of softball playoffs

Publisher Fri, 05/26/2023 - 17:28

by Tom Coombe

Ely’s high school softball team made a hard charge toward the finish, but Mt. Iron-Buhl proved to be an untimely obstacle.

The Rangers danced into and out of trouble Tuesday, escaping with a 4-2 win over the Timberwolves in the opening round of the Section 7A playoffs.

Host MIB, which was seeded seventh in the tournament and moved into the double-elimination round, squelched potential rallies from the 10th-seeded Wolves in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

In three of the four frames, Ely stranded two runners and could never get the equalizer against winning pitcher Natalie Bergman.

The sophomore righthander scattered six hits and struck out nine, including some key punch outs down the stretch.

Ely got a solid performance in the circle from freshman Zoe Mackenzie, who scattered six hits and struck out four.

But the Wolves, who finished 7-8, couldn’t sustain the momentum they generated over the last week, when they won five of their last seven regular season contests.

MIB got to Mackenzie in the opening frame, when the hosts scored four times on four hits - three that went for extra bases.

The Ely pitcher settled in after that, but the Wolves couldn’t come all the way back.

Ely cut the gap in half with a two-out rally in the top of the third.

Following back-to-back strikeouts, Ely’s Clare Thomas singled and teammate Hannah Penke drew a walk.

That set the stage for Kate Coughlin, who after a stolen base delivered a two-run single to make it 4-2.

A double by senior Madeline Kallberg and a dropped third strike put two runners aboard in the fourth, but Bergman worked out of the jam.

She also escaped trouble in the fifth, while the Wolves were unable to capitalize on a leadoff double by Rachel Couglhin and a walk to Kallberg in the sixth.

Penke’s two-out single kept the Wolves alive in the seventh, but Bergman got Kate Coughlin to fly out to end the game.

The Rangers, who split a doubleheader with the Wolves during the regular season, moved into the double-elimination phase of the tournament on Thursday at Cloquet. They met second-seeded Cherry,.

• The Wolves closed the regular season with a wild 13-12 win at Floodwood on May 19.

Ely led 9-4 midway through, but the Polar Bears fought back and took a 12-11 lead into the seventh.

Amelia Penke’s two-out, two-run single plated Rachel Coughlin and Emma Perish with the tying and winning runs.

In the bottom of the frame, Floodwood got the tying run to second with one out, but Mackenzie got back-to-back flyouts to preserve the win.

Mackenzie scattered 11 hits and fanned three to pick up the win, with eight of the 12 Floodwood runs earned.

Kate Coughlin stoked the Wolves’ offense by going two-for-four with four runs bated in.

Rachel Coughlin added two hits and Hannah Penke scored three runs, with Thomas and Amelia Penke scoring two runs each.

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Softball Wolves bounce back

Publisher — Fri, 19 May 2023 02:52:54 +0000

Softball Wolves bounce back

Publisher Fri, 05/19/2023 - 04:52

Ely wins four-of-six as pitcher Mackenzie returns to the lineup

by Tom Coombe

Ely’s high school softball team got its pitcher back - and now the Timberwolves are making a late-season charge.

Wednesday’s 12-0 home thrashing of Littlefork-Big Falls was the Wolves’ fourth win in six contests, and a win in Friday’s regular season finale would bring them back the .500 mark for the year.

Ely, now 6-7, will open play Tuesday in the Section 7A tournament.

A midseason slump, which coincided with pitcher Zoe Mackenzie’s absence with a knee injury, may have cost the Wolves chance to host a playoff game this week.

Yet the Wolves now loom as a difficult obstacle for any first-round opponent, particularly with the freshman pitcher back in the circle.

With the help of strong defense, Mackenzie blanked Littlefork-Big Falls while tossing a one-hitter with four strikeouts. She only walked two batters and the Ely defense did not make an error.

The Wolves would score all the runs Mackenzie would need in the bottom of the third inning, sending 11 batters to the plate.

Both Kate Coughlin and Maija Mattson had run-scoring hits during the rally and Ely was aided by numerous walks and errors.

The following inning, Hannah Penke’s bases-clearing triple scored three and the rout was on.

Both Mattson and Coughlin finished with two hits for the Wolves, and Mattson scored twice.

Lily Dirks also scored two runs.

On Monday, Ely rallied from a 9-3 deficit to stun Mt. Iron-Buhl 12-9 and salvage a split of the home doubleheader.

Amelia Penke’s run-scoring hit helped ignite a four-run fifth that was extended by walks and errors, and the hosts would add five more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Hannah Penke singled and scored on a wild pitch to close the gap to one, and senior Madeline Kallberg delivered a two-run single to put the Wolves in front to stay.

Mackenzie set down the Rangers in order in the top of the seventh, and the Wolves came away with what is likely their biggest win of the abbreviated spring.

Hannah Penke finished three-for-five for the winners, and Amelia Penke, Kallberg and Makenzi Huntington all scored two runs.

Mackenzie tossed a six-hitter with two strikeouts and allowed only four earned runs.

In the opener, MIB jumped out to a 6-1 lead through two innings and prevailed 11-4.

Ely managed seven hits, including two by eighth-grader catcher Payton Huntington and two more by Hannah Penke.

• In road action May 12, a potent North Woods team downed the Wolves 12-2 in five innings and completed a regular season sweep.

Nine Ely errors were the difference as the Grizzlies tacked on numerous unearned runs.

Payton Huntington had two hits and drove in a run for the Wolves.

• Ely dominated Northeast Range 19-2 and 18-3, both in five innings, in a May 11 home twinbill.

The Wolves scored 10 runs in the bottom of the third to put the opening game away.

Hannah Penke clubbed two home runs and finished with five runs batted in for the contest.

Kallberg was three-for-four and Clare Thomas chipped in two hits with three RBI.

Rachel Coughlin scored three runs while Amelia Penke, Brielle Lindland and Ella Perish all scored twice.

Kate Coughlin pitched the first three innings and fanned seven batters to get the win.

The nightcap featured more of the same as 10 runs in the bottom of the first helped Ely put the game away early.

The Wolves had only six hits but got the benefit of 10 walks and numerous errors.

Dirks was two-for-two with two runs scored, and Mackenzie and Amelia Penke combined on a three-hitter.

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Eighth-grader takes IRC title

Publisher — Fri, 19 May 2023 02:43:17 +0000

Eighth-grader takes IRC title

Publisher Fri, 05/19/2023 - 04:43

Visser first in discus at league meet

by Tom Coombe

With one huge day, Kaylin Visser emerged as one of the area’s top discus throwers.

The Ely eighth-grader shattered her personal-best by better than 17 feet, throwing the discus 103 feet, four inches to place first in the event at Tuesday’s Iron Range Conference championship.

The meet was held in Aurora, site of the upcoming subsection competition, slated for 10 a.m., May 25.

Following on the heels of a victory in the discus by senior Natasha Fulkrod the week before, Visser’s win at the IRC gives the Timberwolves a potent one-two combination heading into the postseason.

Visser had her team’s only first at the conference event, and the Ely girls placed fifth among seven teams in the event.

Before this week, Visser’s top throw was just over 86 feet.

She obliterated that mark with her winning throw, and topped her next-nearest foe by about five feet. Visser also had throws of 92 and 97 feet for the day.

Fulkrod had one of the Wolves’ next-best performances, taking fourth in the shot put with a throw of 27-2.

Distance running also proved to be a strength for the Wolves in the IRC, with eighth-grader Molly Brophy placing second in the 3,200 meters with a personal-best time of 12:30.

Brophy added a second runner-up finish in the 1,600 (5:46.95) and seventh-grader Mattie Lindsay was sixth (6:11.85) in the same event.

Junior Claire Blauch (13:26.31) and ninth-grader Elsa Ellerbroek (14:05.24) also had personal bests en route to respective fourth and fifth-place finishes.

Ely’s Grace LaTourell was part of a tight finish in the 400. The junior was fourth in 1:05.37 but only .02 seconds away from third in an event won by Chisholm seventh-grader Olivia Pascuzzi.

The Wolves came home with two third-place relays as Lily Tedrick, Audrey Thomas, Madeline Perry and LaTourell combined to take third in the four-by-400 (4:35.89), while it was Blauch, Perry, Anna Dunn and Phoebe Helms on a third-place four-by-800 (11:07.45) quartet.

In the four-by-200, Ely’s Lydia Shultz, Thomas, Audrey Kallberg and Violet Udovich were fourth in 1:56.19.

Ely also had a fifth-place relay of Shultz, Udovich, Anna Larson and Kallberg (57.8).

The Wolves also scored with two sixth-place sprint finishes - LaTourell in the 200 (28.85) and Larson in the 100 (14.47).

Other top-12 finishers were:

• 200 - 12. Larson, 30.58;

• 800 - 7. Helms, 2:49.39; 11. Kiarstin Eaton, 3:00.19;

• 1,600 - 12. Ava Skustad, 6:50.74;

• 100 hurdles - 12. McClelland, 20.93;

• Shot put - 12. Addison Forsman, 23-8;

• Discus - 8. Sarah Visser, 72-3;

• High jump - 8 (tie)- Shultz, 4-4; Thomas, 4-4; Kallberg;

• Long jump - 9. Dunn, 13-1; 10. Forsman; 13-0;

• Triple jump - Dunn, 26-11.75

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VCC ousted from regionals

Publisher — Fri, 19 May 2023 01:56:25 +0000

VCC ousted from regionals

CLOWNING AROUND - After clinching a regional tournament berth, Vermilion baseball players posed for a photo including Jake Palomo, Angel Torres, Charlie Spahn, Frankie Wildes, Jake Casazza and Kelbee Woodham. Photo by Becky Grilley

Publisher Fri, 05/19/2023 - 03:56

Extra-inning defeat, pitchers’ duel brings season to an end

Vermilion created some anxious moments for its opponents but ultimately came up short in two tightly-contested games at the regional playoffs in St. Cloud.

Rochester rallied to pull out an 11-10, 10-inning victory in the opening round of the May 11 NJCAA Region 13 community college baseball event, while Alexandria ended Vermilion’s season with a 3-0 decision that night.

It was a difficult end for a Vermilion team that won 15 games this spring and reached the postseason for the second time in three years.

“We competed, no doubt about that,” said head coach Tom Coombe. “A break here or there and we could have won either or both games.”

Seeded ninth among 10 teams, Vermilion gave favored Rochester a battle and led 6-1 after a second-inning outburst.

A home run over the left field scoreboard by sophomore Michael Feralio put Vermilion up 7-4 in the fifth, but Rochester rallied to grab 8-7 and 10-9 leads.

Rochester misplayed a bunt in the top of the ninth allowing Vermilion to tie the game, but the Ironhawks left the bases loaded.

That came back to haunt them as Rochester’s Yanseph Llanos walked it off in the bottom of the 10th on a solo home run.

Reliever Angel Torres, who struck out seven in five innings was tagged with the loss. He came in place of starter Jake Palomo, who gave up nine hits and fanned three in four innings of work.

Feralio’s home run was one of his three hits on the day, and he drove in two runs.

Mason Kostka knocked in four runs for Vermilion and freshman outfielder Jake Casazza had a two-run single in the top of the second.

Vermilion’s Jesus Trejo added two hits and scored two runs while Franklin Wildes also scored twice.

The loss sent Vermilion into the elimination round.

Despite injures to two starting outfielders - Cameron Peterson and Casazza - freshman pitcher DeSoto Hood kept Vermilion in the game.

Hood dueled with the Legends’ Jalen Vorpahl.

While Vermilion outhit Alexandria 6-5, the Legends scratched out single runs against Hood in the first, fourth and eighth innings.

Vermilion stranded two runners in the top of the eighth and had a potential ninth-inning rally snuffed out by a running catch at the centerfield fence.

Nobody had more than one hit for Vermilion, and Hood went the distance allowing two earned runs with seven strikeouts. He finished the season with a 4-4 record on the mound.

The final four teams in the regional - Rochester, Alexandria, Century and St. Cloud - are playing down this weekend for a berth in the JUCO World Series while Vermilion is turning to 2024, when 13 players will return.

“It was a great season and these guys created a lot of memories for themselves,” said Coombe. “Not only by winning two games on the last day to get into the regional, but the time they spent working together all season long. They began last August with the goal of getting to St. Cloud and they accomplished that through a lot of time, a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication. I’m very proud of these guys and excited about the future of Vermilion baseball.”

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Golf teams get on course

Publisher — Thu, 11 May 2023 20:19:13 +0000

Golf teams get on course

Publisher Thu, 05/11/2023 - 22:19

by Tom Coombe

Finally.

After waiting and waiting and waiting, the high school golfers from Ely and Northeast Range have had an opportunity to complete.

The boys had a season-opening event May 4 while the girls took part in events on back-to-back days earlier this week.

Tuesday, the Northeast Range/Ely combination was third among four teams on one of their home courses - in Babbitt.

Abby Koivisto, who earned a state meet appearance a year ago, was fourth among individuals with a nine-hole 43.

She trailed winner Kelby Anderson of International Falls by four strokes.

NRE’s Danica Sundblad slid into the top 10 with a 53 while her sister Maizy took 13th at 55.

Cylvia DeBeltz carded a 61 and was 16th, followed by teammates Carena DeBeltz (65, 19th), Ezra Chamberlin (69, 20th) and Ruby Milton (70, 21st).

Rock Ridge won the team title.

The girls were in Virginia Monday for a three-team meet dominated by host Rock Ridge. NRE finished in front of North Woods,

Koivisto fired a 56 to take 10th in an event in which Anderson won with a 39.

Danica Sundblad tied for 11th with a 59 and Carena DeBeltz was in a tie for 13th at 61.

Maizy Sundblad (62, 16th) was next in the NRE lineup, with Cylvia DeBeltz (63, 17th) and Milton (70, 20th) next.

In boys action, Wes Sandy recorded a 52 to take 22nd at the May 4 meet in Virginia.

Ely junior Tommy Homer placed 25th with a 56, and Ryland Sandy was three strokes back in 27th.

Lewis Powell shot a 61 (28th) and Ty Walker wound up with a 69 (32nd).

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VCC makes baseball regional

Publisher — Thu, 11 May 2023 20:16:31 +0000

VCC makes baseball regional

CELEBRATION - Vermilion baseball players jumped for joy after clinching a playoff spot last Sunday afternoon in Aurora. The Ironhawks opened play Thursday at the NJCAA Div. III Regional 13 Tournament at St. Cloud. Photo courtesy of Becky Gilley

Publisher Thu, 05/11/2023 - 22:16

On final day of regular season, offense erupts against Northland

On a do-or-die day, the Vermilion Ironhawks flat out did.

An offense that sputtered the day before erupted for 30 runs in two games, while Vermilion got just enough pitching to pick up not only a sweep - but a postseason berth.

The community college baseball team swept Northland 16-7 and 14-7 to finish the regular season with a 10-10 record in Northern Division play and beat both the Pioneers and Hibbing via tiebreaker to grab the third and final playoff spot out of the division.

Vermilion (15-19) was set to take on Rochester Thursday at St. Cloud to open play in the 10-team, double-elimination event.

After two losses to Northland Saturday in Ely, Vermilion’s odds for a postseason berth dipped. But that changed Sunday at Aurora.

Mason Kostka, Jesus Trejo and Michael Feralio all homered in the opening game, with Trejo’s grand slam capping off a seven-run first inning.

Kostka, who has sizzled at the plate in division play and raised his average to a team-best .400, had four hits and five runs batted in during the game.

That staked DeSoto Hood to a cushion, and the freshman from Florida worked four frames on the way to his fourth pitching win of the spring.

Angel Torres was lights out in relief, striking out eight batters in three innings and allowing only an infield hit.

Hood helped his cause with two hits, sophomore catcher Charlie Wonser drove in two runs and Feralio wound up with three hits and four RBI.

Jake Casazza scored three runs and Marcus Haire added two for Vermilion.

In the second game, Vermilion fell behind 4-0 in the bottom of the first on two home runs, but a successful appeal of first base on the second round-tripper took erased two runs from the Pioneers’ total.

After that, freshman pitcher Jacob Mickelson settled in and went the distance, picking up his third win in nine days and his fourth this season.

The Hugo native scattered nine hits and fanned seven Northland batters.

Meanwhile, the Vermilion offense kept right on rolling.

The Ironhawks had four-run outbursts in both the second and fourth innings and put things away with a six-run seventh.

Casazza had a two-run single during the inning.

Vermilion had numerous contributors on offense with Trejo ripping a two-run double and finishing with two runs scored and three RBI.

Haire was two-for-three with three runs scored, sophomore Cameron Peterson had two hits and two runs and both Wonser and Frankie Wildes had two hits and two RBI.

On Saturday, freshman Jake Palomo was the tough-luck losing pitcher in a 4-2 opening game defeat.

He allowed only three hits and one earned run while finishing with seven strikeouts.

Peterson had a two-run double in the seventh but Vermilion stranded two runners in scoring position.

Hood had his first career home run, a grand slam, in the second game but Northland outscored Vermilion 13-7.

Kostka, Wonser and Peterson all had two hits for the Ironhawks.

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