Wolverines fall to top-ranked Esko

VIRGINIA—The Rock Ridge baseball team gave up a few too many extra outs in the fourth inning and it spelled disaster for them on Monday as the Wolverines fell to visiting Esko 10-0 in five innings.

The visiting squad used a five-hit, eight-run inning top of the fourth inning to take a commanding lead over Rock Ridge and tacked on two more runs in the fifth to end the game early by 10-run mercy rule.

A bevy of Esko hits and a pair of Rock Ridge errors chased starting pitcher Will Kemp out of the game after 3.1 innings. Kemp finished the game giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk. He struck out two. Connor Saxhaug took over and finished out the inning, giving up four runs (all earned) on three hits and three walks.

“We gave them six outs in one inning,” Rock Ridge head coach Jamie Lindseth said of the fourth inning. “A team like that is going to put up some runs and it was a really good game until that point. We gave them the extra outs, had a couple of walks and you just can’t do that against a team like that.”

The Wolverine offense couldn’t get much going either as they had just two hits and four total baserunners in the five innings of play.

“We only had a couple hits. We were putting some balls in play but I don’t think we had the best approach at the plate. Esko pitched well and they didn’t have any errors. You have to take care of the ball and that’s what good teams like them do.”

After three quiet innings from both sides, the Wolverines saw things get out of hand quickly in the fourth. Finn Furcht got the inning started for the visitors, etching a single and moving to second on a wild pitch. Esko pitcher Dylan Marciulionis reached on an error and the lead runner came into score when James Halverson etched a single. A second run came in when Trent Ondrus flew out to right, 2-0.

After Jackson Peterson reached on an error, Kemp’s time on the mound was over and Saxhaug came in to finish out the inning. Saxhaug got the second out quickly, getting Bryce Hipp to fly out to left, but a walk to Bobby Thornson made way for a two-RBI double from Sam Haugen to make it a 4-0 game.

The inning continued and four more runs came in thanks to an RBI single from Furcht, a bases-loaded walk to Marciulionis and a two-RBI single from Halverson, 8-0. Saxhaug got out of the inning, getting Ondrus to fly out to center, but the damage was done and the Wolverines were in a hole.

Tyler Reid and Sam Ray got singles for the Wolverines in the bottom of the fourth, but neither runner was able to come home, making way for the fifth inning. Marciulionis ended his time on the mound there, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out five over four innings.

Esko tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning off of new pitcher Harley Mott and Rock Ridge went down in order during the home half of the inning to end the game then and there.

With Esko holding an undefeated record of 14-0 and the No. 1 ranking in Class AA, a victory would have been difficult to come by. Still, Lindseth hoped his team was going to put forth a stronger effort.

“We were hoping by this time of the year that we’d be learning a little bit more. They’re a good team and they’re playing good ball but I thought we should have competed. Will was mowing them down and we were putting some balls in play but then they exploded.

“It happens quick with good teams like that. They know how to pounce and we haven’t really done that yet. It’s something that has to be learned through reps.”

The Wolverines continue on the week with a conference game against International Falls on Tuesday and another against Mesabi East on Thursday. They close out the week taking on South Ridge on Friday.

“It’s not going to get any easier. Winning can become a culture if you build it. We’ve been accustomed to winning for some time now but losing can do the same thing and I think some guys need to understand that they need to do their part. You can’t wait for the next guy to step up, you have to be that next guy.”

SOFTBALL

Ely 13,

Mountain Iron-Buhl 5

ELY—The Ely softball team got a combined eight hits from Perish and Clare Thomas as the Timberwolves blew by Mountain Iron-Buhl on Monday 13-5.

Perish finished the game with a pair of homers and a double, finishing 4-4 with six RBIs. Thomas also finished the game 4-4. Maija Mattson added three hits for Ely.

Mountain Iron-Buhl was led by Natalie Bergman and Colie Otto, who both picked up a pair of hits.

Zoe MacKenzie got the win in the circle while Bergman took the loss.