Jacks Enter Playoffs With An 11-1 Victory

Wes Vork-NSO

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June 2

Kerry Rodd-NSO

CLOQUET – Tyler Tollerud was in the zone on the mound and the Cloquet hitters pounded out an 11-1 win over the Aitkin Gobblers in high school baseball playoff action at Ed Mettner Field in Cloquet on Wednesday afternoon.

“It would have been nice to have a radar gun,” said Cloquet coach Rick Stowell about Tollerud’s pitching. “I’m sure he was well into the 80’s today.”

Tollerud gave up just five hits in his five innings of work and he struck out seven on his way to picking up a first round win for the Jacks in the Section 7AA tournament.

While Tollerud was keeping the gobble of the Aitkin batters quiet, the Cloquet hitters were pounding the ball against one of the area’s better pitchers in Kyle Hoffman, who is headed to UMD to pitch for the Bulldogs next season. The Jacks blew the game open with a five-run fourth inning on back to back doubles by Adam Hanson and Jake Horn.

August Reynolds went 3-for-3 to lead Cloquet, while Hanson was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Peter LaCourse was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI’s, Connor Stowell was 2-for-3 and Horn was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBI’s.

Cloquet bashed out a total of 14 hits in the game with eight different hitters coming up with a hit in the game.

The Jacks will take on International Falls at 4:30 today at Wade Stadium in the second round of the playoffs. The Bronco’s beat Hibbing 3-1 to advance to the second round against Cloquet.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com