Lumberjacks Win First Game Of Section Finals

Wes Vork-NSO

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June 10

Kerry Rodd-NSO

The Cloquet baseball team forced a second game in the Section 7AA double-elimination tournament on Thursday afternoon by beating previously unbeaten Hermantown 2-0 behind the stellar pitching of Tyler Tollerud.

The Lumberjacks came into Thursday’s play needing to knock off the Hawks twice after losing to them on Wednesday. The Jacks rebounded by knocking off Proctor and eliminating the Rails 4-0.

Against Hermantown, it was Tollerud and sophomore Jared Thomas hooking up in a pitchers’ dual that saw each of them give up just four hits. However, while Tollerud was able to pitch out of trouble twice in the game, Thomas was unable to get out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning which ultimately was the difference in the game.

August Reynolds led off the seventh for Cloquet with a base hit up the middle and was sacrifice bunted to second base. With one out, Corbin Morse singled to put runners at the corners and then Jake Horn walked to load the bases. Cole Johnson then pinch ran for Horn and Peter LaCourse followed with a flair base hit to right field that scored both Reynolds and Morse, giving Cloquet the lead at 2-0.

The Lumberjacks also got out of a mini-jam in the bottom of the seventh when Tollerud got a come-backer to the mound and then threw to LaCourse, who then completed the double play to end the threat and give Cloquet the win.

The two teams will play again at Wade Stadium to determine the winner in a game set for later this afternoon.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at Kerry@northlandsportsonline.com