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The Wildcats Legion baseball team split four games last week, ending the regular season in eighth place with a 5-8 record.

July 10, 2006

Chisago Lakes 8,

North Branch 4

Ryan Rivard struck out 13 batters and allowed just three earned runs as he pitched a complete game to lead the Wildcats to an 8-4 victory over the North Branch Vikings at Chisago Lakes High School.

The Vikings grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The Wildcats scored four in the bottom of the second to take the lead as Dan Kaiser doubled in one run and Eric Reed and Bob LeVasseur drove in one run apiece. In the third, Mike Welle tripled in Adam Gemuenden with the Wildcats’ fifth run. Jeff Hollister and Reed each singled in a run to make the score 7-1.

The Vikings made some noise in the fourth inning. A single, a walk and a double led two Viking runs. Another run scored on a groundout, but a fly ball and a strikeout by Rivard ended the Viking threat. The Wildcats added one more run in the sixth as Aaron Rivard singled to score Tommy Fitzer, making the final score Wildcats 8, Vikings 4.

Rivard was consistent, striking out two batters in every inning but the fourth. He was able to throw each of his pitches – fastball, curve ball and changeup – for strikes.

July 11, 2006

Chisago Lakes 14, Cambridge 4

The Wildcats pounded out 12 hits on their way to a 14-4 win at Cambridge in a game shortened to five innings because of the 10 run rule. Mike Welle pitched all five innings to earn the victory.

The Wildcats jumped all over Cambridge early, scoring four runs in the top of the first. After the first two batters made outs in the bottom of the inning, Cambridge came back with four runs to tie the score after one.

The Wildcats answered with three more runs in the top of the second and put the game away with seven runs in the fourth. After a shaky first inning, Welle settled down and faced just two batters over the minimum over the final four innings, allowing one hit and striking out four over that span.

Fitzer led all Wildcat hitters with four hits, including a double and three bunt singles, and three runs scored. Jeff Hollister had a double, a single and three RBIs and Adam Gemuenden, Welle and Ryan Rivard drove in two runs apiece.

July 12, 2006 – Doubleheader

St. Francis 6, Chisago Lakes 2

St. Francis 9, Chisago Lakes 4

St. Francis swept a pair of games from the Wildcats at St. Francis, both times scoring several runs late to break open one-run games.

In the first game, with the Wildcats acting as the home team, St. Francis scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the third. The Wildcats tightened things up with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Welle and Reed singled and Gemuenden and Fitzer each singled to drive in a run to make the score 3-2.

St. Francis scored three runs in the top of the seventh and the Wildcats went down one-two-three in the bottom of the inning to make the final score St. Francis 6, Chisago Lakes 2. Pitcher Dan Kaiser threw all seven innings for the Wildcats, their third complete game in a row.

In the nightcap, home team St. Francis led 3-0 after one inning. The Wildcats came back with two of their own in the top of the second. Bob LeVasseur singled, Ryan Rivard singled and Aaron Rivard walked to load the bases with no outs. LeVasseur and Ryan Rivard scored on Wild pitches to pull the Wildcats within one. But St. Francis regained its three-run lead with two runs, including one unearned run, in the bottom of the second.

The Wildcats pulled within one run again in the fourth. LeVasseur walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Aaron Rivard singled and Trevor Nowack walked to load the bases. The Wildcats scored two runs on a passed ball and a wild pitch to make the score 5-4. St. Francis scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Wildcats didn’t even manage a baserunner the last two innings as St. Francis won by a final score of 9-4.

Playoffs

The Wildcats were scheduled to play in the North End Subdistrict Playoffs July 18-20 at Princeton and Hinckley. The eight-team, double elimination format will determine which two teams will join first-place Princeton and second-place Cambridge at next week’s District 10 playoffs in the southern Minneapolis suburbs.

NORTH END FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

W L GB

Princeton 11 2 --

Cambridge 10 3 1

St. Francis 8 5 3

Milaca 8 5 3

Mora 7 6 4

Braham 6 7 5

Hinckley 6 7 5

Chisago Lakes 5 8 6

North Branch 4 9 7

Pine City 0 13 11

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