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Monticello 8, Chisago Lakes 2

The Monticello Magic erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth inning and went on to beat the Wildcats 8-2 on Tuesday, May 14 at Pat Collins Field at Chisago Lakes High School.  The Wildcats led 2-1 going into the fifth.  But three singles, a hit batter, a walk, and a double given up by starting pitcher Xavier Taylor led to four Magic runs with no outs.  Another run scored on a groundout, and Monticello led 6-2.  They added two more runs in the seventh to make the final score 8-2.  Caden Gibbs singled in one of the Wildcats runs,  and Ian Larsen drove in the other one with a sacrifice fly.

Chisago Lakes 5, North Branch 3 (8 innings)

Jacob Showers blasted a three-run homer with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Wildcats a 5-3 win over the Vikings  Thursday, May 16 at Chisago Lakes. 

 That gave the rivals a split in their season series, after the Vikings shut out the Wildcats 1-0 on April 15.

In the top of the first, Viking Lucas Goggin walked with one out.  Noah Thorsen reached on an error by Wildcat shortstop Dom Torres, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch.  Ty Ellsworth grounded to short, scoring Goggin.  In the bottom of the first, Xaver Taylor walked with one out, went to third on a single by Caden Gibbs and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.  In the bottom of the fifth, Dom Torrez led off with a single.  Taylor walked, and both runners moved up on a grounder to first by Kellen Meissner.  Torrez scored on a wild pitch, and the Wildcats led 2-1.   In the top of the sixth, Andrew Orf led off with a single to right and Goggin reached on an error by pitcher River Bemlott.  One out later, Ellsworth lined a single to right to score Orf, and the game was tied 2-2.  Taylor opened the bottom of the seventh with a single to left but thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, and the game headed into extra innings.

With one out in the top of the eighth, Thorsen clubbed a homer to left on the first pitch he saw to give the Vikings a 3-2 lead.  In the bottom of the inning, Cole Stilp was hit by a pitch with one out.  Bemlott followed with a single.  And on a 1-0 count, Showers ended the game with his three-run homer to left.

Bemlott started for the Wildcats.  He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned ) on five hits, walked three and struck out three.  Chuck Gilman retired the only batter he faced in the top of the eighth to pick up the win for the Wildcats.  Tanner Helin started for the Vikings.  In six innings, he allowed two earned runs on four hits, walked six and struck out seven.  

Hermantown 8, Chisago Lakes 4

A shaky Wildcat defense led to five unearned runs for the Hermantown Hawks, and they went on to beat the Wildcats 8-4 Friday, May 17 at Mettner Field in Cloquet.

The Hawks scored three times in the first inning on four hits.  In the third, the first Hawk batter reached on an error.  That runner scored after a groundout and a single.  One out later, two more runs scored on an outfield error, and Hermantown led 6-0.  Xavier Taylor drove in two runs for the Wildcats with a double in the top of the fifth.  But the first two Hawk batters reached on errors in the bottom of the inning and later scored to make it 8-2.  Chuck Gilman singled with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh to drive in two and cut the Hawk lead to 8-4, but Ian Larsen flew out to end the rally and the game.  

In 4 2/3 innings, Wildcat starter Lucas Weinzetl gave up eight runs – only there of which were earned – on nine hits, walked one and struck out four.  Kellen Meissner allowed one unearned run in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Big Lake 5, Chisago Lakes 0

Owen Wilczek allowed just one baserunner – a fifth inning single by Kellen Meissner – as the Big Lake Hornets stung the Wildcats 5-0 Tuesday, May 21 at Big Lake.  Wilczek struck out 13 of the 22 batters he faced.  Xavier Taylor went all the way for the Wildcats.  In six innings, he allowed five runs (three earned ) on four hits, walked one and struck out two.

Baseball Banter

The Wildcats (7-12) will finish their regular season tonight at Solheim Field in Princeton against the Tigers at 4:30 p.m.  

The playoffs start on Tuesday, May 28.   The Wildcats have the lowest QRF ranking in Section 7AAA, so it is likely they will head to Grand Rapids to face the Thunderhawks in the opening game of the section playoffs.  

Win or lose, the Wildcats will play again next Thursday, May 30 and we will have a section playoff preview in next week’s Press.

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