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by CHUCK FITZER

Chisago Lakes 6, Hibbing 1

Lucas Weinzetl allowed one unearned run in six innings to lead the fifth-seeded Wildcat baseball team to a 6-1 win over the fourth-seeded Hibbing Bluejackets in the opening game of the Section 7AA playoffs Wednesday, May 27 at Hibbing High School. Trent Travis doubled in two runs to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the third. The Wildcats added to their lead with runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Weinzetl allowed five hits, walked five and struck out four in picking up the win.

Grand Rapids 9, Chisago Lakes 6

It looked like the Wildcats were on their way to an upset win over the top-seeded Grand Rapids Thunderhawks in the second game of the section playoffs on Thursday, May 28 at Grand Rapids, as the Wildcats led 6-3 after the top of the fourth inning. But Grand Rapids, the section representative to the state tournament for the past five years, scored six runs over the next three innings to beat the Wildcats 9-6, relegating the Wildcats to the elimination bracket – a tough road to find post season success.

Cole Stilp started things off with a bang when he lined the first pitch of the game over the left field fence for a home run. Later in the inning, Trent Travis doubled in one run and Lucas Weinzetl scored on a Kaiden Melquist groundout to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. The Thunderhawks tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the second. The Wildcats built the lead back up to three runs heading into the bottom of the fourth. But Wildcats pitching could not hold down Grand Rapids as the Thunderhawks scored six runs to blow past the Wildcats and remained in the championship bracket.

Chisago Lakes 16, Rock Ridge 11

On Saturday, May 30, Xander Breitenbach drove in five runs, and Quinn LeVasseur drove in three to lead the Wildcats to a 16-11 slugfest in over the sixth-seeded Rock Ridge Wolverines at Rock Ridge High School, knocking the Wolverines from the playoffs to advance in the elimination bracket. The Wildcats broke the game open with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 13-4, highlighted by a two-run single by LeVasseur and a three-run triple by Breitenbach. The two teams combined for 21 hits, and 23 combined walks meant there was a constant parade of baserunners.

Chisago Lakes 7, Hermantown 5

At Wade Stadium in Duluth on Tuesday, June 2, trailing 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning and on the brink of elimination, the Wildcats scored three runs and shut down the third-seeded Hermantown Hawks in the bottom of the inning to come away with a 7-5 win and advance to the championship game in the elimination bracket. Xander Breitenbach’s two-run triple in the top of the seventh gave the Wildcats the lead, and Baylor Brown’s sacrifice fly drove in Breitenbach with an insurance run. Colton Horak picked up the win in relief of starter Lucas Weinzetl by striking out the only batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth, and Kellen Meissner struck out two in a scoreless seventh to earn the save.

Cloquet 14, Chisago Lakes 4 (5 innings)

The Wildcats finally ran out of gas one game short of the section championship game, falling to the second-seeded Cloquet Lumberjacks 14-4 on Tuesday, June 2 at Wade Stadium in a game shortened to five innings because of the ten-run rule. Cloquet scored four runs in the first inning and led 4-3 before they broke the game open with five runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth to end the Wildcats’ season.

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