Wildcats Legion team picks up two late wins

North Branch 7, Chisago Lakes 6 In baseball, it’s rare that one bad call by an umpire decides the outcome of a game. But in the game played at Chisago Lakes between the Wildcats and the Vikings, a bad call at home plate in the fifth inning wiped out the tying run for the Wildcats and, two innings later, the Vikings walked away with a 7-6 win. The Vikings led 6-3 going into the bottom of the fifth. Leading off for the Wildcats, Quade Zupko reached on an error and scored on Miles Turk’s triple to right center. Dylan Magnuson hit a grounder to short.

The shortstop threw it over the first baseman’s head. Turk scored to pull the Wildcats within one run, and Magnuson went to second on the error. Joe Davis singled to right. Magnuson was held at third on the play, but the throw home sailed to the fence between the backstop and the third base dugout and Magnuson took off for home. The pitcher tracked down the ball and threw it home. Magnuson slid across the plate ahead of the throw and appeared to have scored. The catcher applied the tag as Magnuson started to come up out of his slide. The umpire, who for some reason had reached down to pick up the bat and didn’t appear to be looking at the play, called Magnuson out, using the bat to make the out sign. The Wildcats protested, but to no avail. Dan Kimlinger then reached on an error, sending Davis to third.

The next two batters went out, and the Vikings still led 6-5 after five innings. In the sixth, a Viking batter singled, went to second on a hit by pitch and scored on another single to give the Vikings an insurance run. In the bottom of the inning, Hunter Lindstrom was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second. One out later, Turk singled to drive in Lindstrom to cut the Viking lead to 7-6. Magnuson singled, but Davis popped out to end the threat. The Wildcats got on the board first in this one. Magnuson and Davis both drew one out walks, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Danny Kimlinger’s single to right field to put the Wildcats up 2-0. But the Vikings scored five times in the top of the third inning to take a 5-2 lead. In the bottom of the third, Zupko singled, moved to third on two wild pitches and scored on Turk’s groundout to cut the Viking lead to 5-3. Princeton 19, Chisago Lakes 4 The beginning of the last week of the regular season started out with a whimper for the Wildcat American Legion baseball team. Princeton piled on the runs and rolled over the Wildcats 19-4 Monday, July 9 at Chisago Lakes. Princeton had 11 hits, walked nine times and took advantage of ten Wildcat errors. Chisago Lakes 6, Milaca 5 In only his second game since returning from an injury suffered near the end of the high school baseball season, Ryan Biernath made two critical catches in the seventh inning, including the game ending catch with his back against the wall. Biernath’s catches, a three run double by Gabe Gustafson, good defense and a gutty complete game pitching performance by Hunter Lindstrom were all part of the Wildcats’ first win of the season, 6-5 over Milaca last Tuesday, July 10 at Chisago Lakes.

One of the game’s big plays occurred in the top of the third inning. With one out, three hits, a walk, another hit and an error put Milaca up 3-0 and left the bases loaded. Lindstrom struck out the next batter. The next batter hit a foul popup behind the plate. Catcher Kyle Buchanan whipped off his mask and took a second to locate the ball. He spun around, sprinted a couple of steps and dove for it, snatching the ball just before it hit the ground to keep the Milaca lead at three. The Wildcats got two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Miles Turk led off with a single and Dylan Magnuson walked. Bothe runners moved up on a wild pitch before Joe Davis walked to load the bases. Turk scored on a wild pitch. Magnuson was thrown out at the plate on Matt Hasselquist’s grounder to third. Dan Kimlinger singled to drive in Davis, cutting the Milaca lead to 3-2. The Wildcats’ biggest offensive inning of the year came in the fifth. Still trailing 3-2, Kellen Reed was hit in the back by a pitch. In pain, he flipped his bat overhand toward the Wildcat dugout as he trotted to first. Even though the bat landed about 15 feet from the dugout, the umpire termed it “dangerous” and threw Reed out of the game. Biernath replaced Reed at first base. Davis singled and, one out later, Kimlinger walked to load the bases. Gustafson stepped up to the plate and worked the count to 3-1.

He drilled the next pitch to deep left center field. The high line drive banged off the fence in the air, clearing the bases. Gustafson ended up on second base with a double and the Wildcats had a 5-3 lead. Nate Peltier reached on an error, moving Gustafson to third. Gustafson scored on a wild pitch and the Wildcats led 6-3. The Wildcats still led 6-3 going into the top of the seventh. Lindstrom struck out the first batter. A hit batter, walk and a single loaded the bases. The next batter hit a grounder back to Lindstrom. He hesitated briefly and then turned to throw to second. Lindstrom’s throw hit the runner as he neared second. A run scored, all hands were safe and the Wildcats were now up 6-4. With a 1-1 count on the next batter, Lindstrom whirled for a pickoff attempt at second. The low throw skipped into left center field. The runners on first and second held up, but the runner on third scored to cut the Wildcat lead to 6-5. The batter worked the count to 3-2. He drilled a wicked line drive to left. Biernath raced after the ball as it hooked toward the corner and made a nice running catch for the second out. The leadoff hitter was up next. He hit the first pitch very high and deep to left. The ball looked like it might have a chance to go out. Biernath kept drifting back farther and farther. He reached up the ball settled into his glove just a couple of feet from the wall, and the Wildcats had their first win of the season. “I thought the ball was never going to come down,” exclaimed a smiling Biernath and he and his teammates celebrated the victory. Lindstrom allowed eight hits, walked four, hit two batters and struck out seven to pick up the win.