Padres Get First Ever Win Over Ashland

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May 15

By Max Mercy

DULUTH — Chris Vendela set a new Padres club record with 13 strikeouts as the Duluth Padres defeated the Ashland Merchants 4-2 in an Upper 13 League baseball game at Bulldog Park in Duluth.

Vendela, (1-0, 3.00 ERA) earned the complete game win. He allowed two earned runs on six hits, six walks, and three hit batsmen.

Duluth scored all four runs in the second inning. Bob Eastman led off with a single, and Bob Baxton and Keith Gunderson loaded the bases with back-to-back singles with one out. Eastman scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch, and, after Zack Bauers walked to load the bases again, Kevin Olson hit into an RBI fielder’s choice, scoring Baxton. Devin Delich then hit a two-run single scoring Gunderson and Olson.

Delich was three-for-four with two RBIs. Corey Pavlich had two hits for Duluth.

Losing pitcher Bob Tyndall allowed four earned runs on 10 hits and three walks. He had four strikeouts in the complete game effort.

The Padres defeated the Merchants for the first time in club history. Since joining the Upper 13 League in 2007 as an expansion team, the Padres had been a combined 0-8 against the Merchants.

The previous club record for strikeouts was nine, shared by Bob Baxton (7-21-07, vs. Ashland Merchants), Kyle Hall (6-29-08 vs. Port Wing), and Anthony Bush (7-19-09 vs. Port Wing).

Duluth, (4-0 overall, 1-0 league) travels to White Bear Township on Saturday May 21 for games against the White Bear Township Champions and the Metro Knights. They return to Upper 13 League action on Sunday, May 22, when they travel to Superior to face the Twin Ports North Stars.

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