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Chisago Lakes 8, Big Lake 2

With two outs in the second inning, the Wildcats scored seven runs with just three hits. The big inning propelled CL to an 8-2 win over the Big Lake Hornets in the first round of the Section 7AAA playoffs Tuesday, May 29 at Chisago Lakes.

Dan Kaiser led off the second with a single. He was replaced on the basepaths by speedy courtesy runner Andrew Verhey. Verhey stole second, but the next two batters went out.

Then the fun started. Ryan Rivard walked. Andy Slagle stepped to the plate and hit a fly ball into medium deep right field. The right fielder was playing just 40 feet onto the outfield grass and, as he raced back, the ball dropped over his head for a double, driving in both Verhey and Rivard.

Bob LeVasseur walked. Tom Fitzer then hit a ground ball to the second baseman that should have ended the inning. But, the throw was short and bounced off the first baseman, loading the bases. Adam Gemuenden hit a grounder to second and the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing a run to score, leaving the bases loaded.

Jeff Hollister walked to force in the fourth run of the inning. Dan Kaiser then drilled a 2-2 pitch to the wall in right center field for a three-run double. The Wildcats were up 7-0.

The Wildcats added their final run in the third inning. Mike Welle reached on an error. With one out, Andy Slagle launched a ball to deep center field. It hit off the base of the fence for a double, scoring Welle. Big Lake scored two runs in the sixth, making the final score Chisago Lakes 8, Big Lake 2. Four Wildcat pitchers combined to allow the Hornets two runs on seven hits.

Forest Lake 8, Chisago Lakes 0

The Wildcat baseball season came to an abrupt end in the second round of last week's section playoffs. Wildcat pitchers were hit hard and Forest Lake's Trip Schultz, a University of Minnesota recruit, shut down the potent Wildcat bats. The Rangers beat the Wildcats 8-0 Thursday, May 31 at Chisago Lakes.

Forest Lake jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. With one out, a double down the left field line and a double in the left-center field gap put Forest Lake up 1-0. The next batter ripped a ball toward the gap in right-center. Right fielder Tom Fitzer raced toward the gap and made a spectacular backhanded, diving catch to rob the Rangers of an extra base hit and keep the score at 1-0. The next batter singled in the runner from second. Jeff Hollister made a nice running catch in the left-center field gap to end the inning.

The Wildcats looked like they might get those runs right back in the bottom of the first. Bob LeVasseur led off with a single, and Fitzer walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. But, Schultz got the next three batters on a foul popup, a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Wildcats off the board. In the top of the second, the Rangers added two more runs on a walk, a sacrifice bunt, a single, a groundout and another single to make it 4-0.

The Wildcats again appeared poised to strike in the bottom of the fourth. Adam Gemuenden and Jeff Hollister singled to lead off the inning. Dan Kaiser's grounder forced Hollister at second. Eric Reed was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. But Schultz retired the next two Wildcats, on a foul popup and a strikeout, to end the threat.

In the top of the fifth, the Rangers seemed ready to break the game wide open. With one out, a single, a hit batter and a double produced one run and left runners at first and second. The Wildcats intentionally walked the next batter to set up a force at home on an inning-ending double play.

The next batter hit a double play ball to the infield. The Wildcat infielder started to throw the ball home. He stopped, realizing he should have been going for the double play. But, it was too late to get the runner at second. He threw to first for an out, and a run scored to make it 6-0 with Rangers on second and third with two outs.

The next Ranger batter ripped a two-run double into the right field corner to make the score 8-0. Schultz and a relief pitcher shut down the Wildcats over the last two innings, leaving the final score at Forest Lake 8, Chisago Lakes 0.

"That was a tough loss," said Wildcat head coach Pat Collins. "They pitched well, hit well and made plays in the field. We didn't hit the ball well at all. Things just didn't go our way. They outplayed us, and we lost.

"But this Wildcat team was a great group of kids," continued Collins. "They won the conference and set a school record for wins with 19. But, beyond what happened on the field, I loved these guys because they made me laugh. At the beginning of the year, I wasn't sure if I even liked this team. But, as the year went on, I realized that I liked them better than any other team I've had. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to all of the seniors in the future, because I know they'll all continue to be fine young men."

Forest Lake advanced to the double-elimination portion of the section tournament, June 4-6 at Chisago Lakes and Forest Lake. Section 7AAA is one of the few sections in the state that waits until the third round to go to the double-elimination format. This avoids the likelihood of a team with just one good pitcher knocking another team out of the playoffs, as happened to the Wildcats this season.

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