Cloquet In Section Finals Behind Hanson’s Pitching

Chris Shevich-NSO

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June 9

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

HERMANTOWN- Cloquet’s Adam Hanson pitched a gem of a game to defeat Proctor 4-0 and advance the Jacks to the Section 7AA finals Thursday. This sets up a rematch with the Hermantown Hawks who beat the Lumberjacks earlier Wednesday in the section tournament.

“We needed solid pitching and that’s what we got,” head coach Rick Stowell told Northland Sports Online. “After a heartbreaking loss to Hermantown our seniors stepped up in the biggest game of the year so far. We like our chances tomorrow because we still have two strong pitchers for us to use.” The Lumberjacks will probably be using Tyler Tollerud or Connor Stowell in the first game on Thursday against Hermantown.

Hanson scattered 3 hits over 7 innings, while striking out 7 and walking 3 in the four-run win Wednesday evening.
It is Hanson’s 5th win of the year for Cloquet.
Solid defense and timely strike outs by the Jacks ended bases loaded situations twice and propelled them to the win.

The Lumberjacks scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning when Peter LaCourse came in on an infield single from August Reynolds. Cloquet added 3 more runs in the fourth inning. Corbin Morris scored on a RBI single from Connor Stowell, and Tyler Tollerud doubled to drive in 2 more runs as the Lumberjacks built a 4-0 lead after 4 innings. That would be all the Lumberjacks needed to cruise to the sectional play-off victory.

Cloquet finished with 9 hits, with Tyler Tollerud and Connor Stowell chipping in two apiece. Tollerud added two runs batted in as well. Stowell and Reynolds had the other RBIs for Cloquet. Peter LaCourse was 1-for-3 with 2 runs scored. Jake Horn added a late inning double in the Lumberjack victory.

The Lumberjack victory was the second win over the Rails in the section tournament. Proctor had defeated Cloquet in the regular season. The Lumberjacks improve to 18-7 for the season as they face Hermantown in the upcoming Section 7AA finals Thursday afternoon.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com