Esko Boys Get Solid 6-4 Win Over Pine City

Click here for the complete game box score

Please check back for our complete photo gallery

May 23

Wes Vork-NSO

ESKO – After playing good ball in the last two games, only to come up a little short; the Esko Eskomos efforts were rewarded on Monday with a 6-4 win over the visiting Pine City Dragons.

The Eskomos got on the board early, when heads up baseball allowed Esko to score in the bottom of the first inning. After hitting a single and rounding first base, Jake Stainbrook alertly noticed that first base was uncovered and pushed the play towards second. With no first baseman to throw to, the Dragons were forced to run Stainbrook back to first which allowed Josh Green to sneak home with the first run of the game. Before the inning was over Max Reinertsen scored to put the Eskomos up by a run after one inning.

Esko added to its lead when Green and Reinertsen each scored their second run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Grant Johnson doubled and scored in the bottom of the fifth, putting the Eskomos up 5-2 after five innings.

Still Pine City hung around and worked their way back cutting the margin to 5-4 in the top of the sixth. That would be as close as the Dragons would get with Boyd smith adding an insurance run in the bottom of the inning to give the Eskomos a 6-4 victory.

Freshman Corey McDonnell pitched 5-1/3 innings to pick up the win. McDonnell scattered four hits while walking and striking out five batters. Austen Kovac picked up the save by pitching the final 1-2/3 innings of hitless baseball to pick up the save.

Stainbrook and Smith each had two hits for the Eskomos. Reinertson added a triple and scored two runs; Green also scored two runs.

With the win the Eskomos up their record to 4-11 on the season. The Eskomos will play a doubleheader in Cloquet on Tuesday; first taking on Hibbing at 4:30 and then Cloquet at 6:30pm.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com