AURORA—The Mesabi East boys Baseball team had a rough game against Cherry recently and left with a loss.
On Thursday night in Aurora, the Giants played a totally different game.
They made the defensive plays, hit the ball when they needed to and didn’t commit the errors like they did in Cherry
Mesabi East did what they had to do and came away with a 3-2 win over Rock Ridge on Thursday night.
“This was a big win for us,” Giants coach Chad Sahr said. “They battled out there and made the plays that we needed and came away with a big winning hit in the seventh.”
The Giants grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Landon Luke reached on an error, went to second on a pass ball, and came in to score when Ryder Gerulli reached on an infield single.
Wolverines starting pitcher Will got a pair of outs to end the inning with Gerulli on second base.
Dakota Kruse on the mound for the Giants allowed a lone hit to Harley Mott in the top of the second to keep it a one run Giants lead.
Kruse sent the Giants down in order in the bottom of the second inning.
Tate Uhan hit a single in the top of the third and stole second base with one out.
Kruse struck out Isaac Lindhorst for the second out of the inning and got Sam Ray to ground out to Easton Sarh at shortstop to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Landon Mathison reached first on an error.
Following Kemp’s first pitch he tried to steal second base but catcher Kaz Carlson threw a perfect strike to John Westby at second base, who put the tag down for the first out of the inning.
Cooper Sickel was then hit by a pitch.
He then tried to steal second base but once again, Carlson threw a perfect strike to Westby at second base for the second out of the inning.
Kemp then got Luke to ground out to end the inning.
Neither team could get anything going in the fourth or fifth inning.
The Wolverines grabbed the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Uhan reached first on an error, stole second, and came in to score when pinch-hitter Gunnar George blasted a double to left-center field.
Ray then came up and walked and that gave Rock Ridge a pair of runners on base with nobody out.
Kruse turned back and fired the ball to the plate and got the next three Wolverines hitters to go down without the ball leaving the infield.
“That was huge for us,” Sahr said. “That could have been a big inning for them but he reached back and just fired the ball.”
It was a 1-1 game going to the top of the seventh inning.
The Wolverines started the inning with Mott reaching on an error.
Joe Aho was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.
That would be the end of the contest for Kruse on the mound.
Sahr came out and gave the ball to Sickel.
Carlson came up and hit a fielder’s choice that allowed Mott to come in to score and give Rock Ridge a 2-1 lead.
Sickle then got a pair of fly outs to end the inning.
Mesabi East came up in the bottom of the seventh and Kruse started the inning with an infield single.
Sahr then reached on a Wolverines error to put runners on first and second base.
Zac Norberg came up and also reached on a Wolverines error.
Louie Karish then came up with nobody out and ripped a single to center field and allowed Kruse and Sarh to score and win the game for the Giants.
“They did what they had to do tonight,” Sahr said. “I’m proud of them. We want to keep winning these games so we can get a home playoff game.”
Kruse ended up going six innings, giving up 2 runs, three hits, striking out six, walking two, and hitting one batter.
“I’m so proud of Dakota,” Sahr said. “He really pitched a nice game for us today.”
Kemp took the loss for the Wolverines on the mound.
He went six innings, giving up the three runs on three hits, striking out five and hitting two batters.
The Wolverines are back in action on Wednesday, when they travel to Ely.
“I was very disappointed today,” Rock Ridge head coach Jamie Lindseth said. “You can’t have five errors against a team like Mesabi East. They will make you pay for it and today, they made us pay.”
The Giants are back in action on Monday, when they host Ely.
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