---

Chisago Lakes 6, Cambridge-Isanti 1

In the first game of a doubleheader at Cambridge-Isanti High school, Xavier Taylor tossed a four-hitter to lead the Wildcats to a 6-1 win over the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets on Wednesday, May 1.  Taylor allowed one earned run on four hits, walked three and struck out seven in picking up the win.

Caden Gibbs singled in the first run of the game in the top of the first inning, but the Bluejackets tied it up in the bottom of the first.  Chuck Gilman delivered the key hit of the game in the top of the second.  With the bases loaded and two out, Gilman lined a single to center to drive in two runs, giving the Wildcats a 3-1 lead.  The Wildcats padded their lead in the top of the sixth, adding runs on a passed ball, a wild pitch, and an error to make the score 6-1.  Taylor, meanwhile, got stronger as the game went on, retiring seven of the last nine batters he faced.

Cambridge-Isanti 7, Chisago Lakes 1

In the second game of the doubleheader, walks and errors doomed the Wildcats.  The Bluejackets only had four hits, but Wildcat pitchers walked eight batters and the fielders made four errors.  In the end, it added up to a 7-1 win for Cambridge-Isanti, giving them a split in the doubleheader.  River Bemlott started for the Wildcats and went five innings.  He allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits, walked three and struck out seven in taking the loss.  Zander Bleymeyer had trouble finding the plate in his two innings of relief. He allowed four runs, just one of which was earned, on just one hit.  He walked five and struck out two.  The Wildcats avoided a shutout when Jack Bjelland delivered a two-out single to drive in Jadon Green in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Baseball Banter

With some rescheduling due to rainouts, the Wildcats are in a stretch where they are playing seven games in ten days.  Today, they will play the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets for the third time in a little over a week, welcoming them to Pat Collins Field at Chisago Lakes High School for a 5 p.m. start.  Tomorrow, the Duluth Denfeld Hunters will come to Lindstrom for a 3:30 game.  And on Tuesday, May 14 the Wildcats will play their third home game in a row, welcoming the Monticello Magic to town for a 4:30 p.m. matchup.

---