Wildcats in wild contests as Biernath recovers

North Branch 6, Chisago Lakes 5 (8 innings) Viking Kevin Johnson’s sacrifice fly scored Thomas Kinsella in the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting the Vikings to a 6-5 win over the Wildcats Wednesday, May 16 at North Branch.

Kinsella led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second by Kerry Konrad. Cody Knobbe was intentionally walked. Jake Schmitz walked to load the bases and set the stage for Johnson’s winning fly ball. “We’ve had some clutch hitting lately, and it’s just fun to watch,” Viking Head Coach Steve Christensen said. The game was tied 1-1 going into the top of the sixth inning when all heck broke loose. Wildcat Joe Davis led off with a single and Danny Kimlinger reached on an error. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and scored on Brandon Gorski’s single. Miles Turk reached first on an error by shortstop Kinsella, with Gorski moving to third. Gorski scored on Mitch Berg’s groundout to second and the Wildcats led 4-1. Matt Hasselquist singled and Turk later scored to give the Wildcats what looked like a comfortable 5-1 lead. But the Vikings had by no means given up. Brett Klun singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth and Cole Mattson reached on an error. Kinsella’s single scored Klun and Mattson also scored when the ball was misplayed out in center field, with Kinsella moving to second.

Konrad walked. He and Kinsella moved up on a passed ball. Kinsella scored on a squeeze bunt by Knobbe to pull the Vikings to within 5-4. After Schmitz struck out, Kevin Johnson singled to score Knobbe, tie the score at 5-5 and eventually send the game into extra innings. The Vikings scored first in this one. Johnson reached first on an error by Wildcat shortstop Jake Sandgren to open the bottom of the third. Travis Anderson sacrificed Johnson to second. Jake Pilz reached on another error by Sandgren, moving Johnson to third. Klun singled in Johnson, and the Vikings led 1-0. In the top of the fourth, Wildcat Hasselquist led off with a single. He stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Kellen Reed’s sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1. “I was glad we came out with the win,” Christensen said after the contest. “They worked so hard, had a few mistakes, but were able to get out with a win.” Chisago Lakes 4, St. Francis 2 Dylan Magnuson’s three run double with two outs in the bottom of the sixth gave the Wildcats the lead and they hung on for a 4-2 win over St. Francis last Tuesday, May 15 at Chisago Lakes. The Fighting Saints jumped all over the Wildcats in the first inning, scoring two runs on a walk, an error and a double. Saints pitcher Jake Schake allowed just two hits over the first five innings, both singles by Miles Turk. Turk stole second both times, but was stranded on the basepaths as the Wildcats failed to drive him in. Things finally came together for the Wildcats n the sixth. Turk led off with another single and again stole second. He went to third on a wild pitch.

After Danny Kimlinger struck out, Turk scored on Mitch Berg’s single to cut the St. Francis lead to 2-1. Matt Hasselquist doubled and Brandon Gorski walked, to set the stage for Magnuson’s big hit. Magnuson also starred on the mound for the Wildcats. In one of his best performances of the season, he allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits, struck out five and walked two in the complete game win. Chisago Lakes 5, Spring Lake Park 4 Mitch Berg’s two run single with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Wildcats a 5-4 come-from-behind win over Spring Lake Park last Thursday, May 17 at Chisago Lakes. Kellen Reed started for the Wildcats and gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits in 3 1/3 innings, striking out six, walking four and hitting two batters. Matt Hasselquist and Dylan Magnuson combined to shut down the Panthers for the rest of the game, allowing no hits and setting the stage for the Wildcat comeback win. In the bottom of the first, Mitch Berg and Hasselquist singled with one out and moved up on a wild pitch. Berg scored on Brandon Gorski’s sacrifice fly to tie cut the Panther lead to 2-1. Danny Kimlinger singled to lead off the second inning and later scored on a single by Kellen Reed. In the third, Miles Turk reached on an error, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored when the Panther first baseman’s error allowed Gorski to reach first, slimming the Panther lead to 4-3.

Scott Hammer reached second on an error by the shortstop to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. Reed struck out. Turk also struck out, but gained first base when the ball got away from the catcher. Turk stole second to put runners on second and third, and Berg’s big single sent the Wildcat faithful home happy. Mahtomedi 6, Chisago Lakes 5 (9 innings) The tables were turned on the Wildcats in their extra inning loss to Mahtomedi. Mahtomedi scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5. The Zephyrs scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Wildcats 6-5 in a game played at Mahtomedi on Saturday, May 19. Kellen Reed and Miles Turk singled to open the third inning. Reed later scored on a two out error to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Danny Kimlinger singled, went to second on a balk and scored on Joe Davis’s single. In the fifth, the Wildcats added what (at the time) looked like some insurance runs. Berg and Hasselquist singled to put runners on first and second with one out. Magnuson singled to drive in Berg and move Hasselquist to third.

A courtesy runner for pitcher Magnuson stole second. After Kimlinger flew out to left, Davis singled to drive in both runners and gave the Wildcats a 5-0 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, relief pitcher Hunter Lindstrom hit the first batter and the next batter singled. Lindstrom struck out the next batter. A single drove in one run to cut the Wildcat lead to 5-2. The next batter walked. A sacrifice fly and a two out, two run triple tied the game at 5-5. Lindstrom struck out the next batter, but the damage was done. The Zephyrs loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth on two singles and a walk. The next batter hit a ground ball to short. Shortstop Jake Sandgren tagged the runner going to third, but the runner going to first beat the relay throw and the winning run scored for the Zephyrs.