Cloquet Opens Playoffs With 11-0 Win Over Pine City

Chris Shevich-NSO

May 27

Kerry Rodd-NSO

It did not take long for the Pine City Dragons to realize that the Cloquet Lumberjacks were out to end things early in their Section 7AA baseball game on Wednesday afternoon. After Cloquet pitcher Dedric Clark did his part to slay the Dragons in the first inning, the Jacks proceed to pound them into submission with their bats in the bottom of the inning.

Clark manhandled the Pine City line up throughout the game.
However, in the first inning, his fastball and looping curve ball were at their best. The Jacks then started strong on offense as they plated five runs in the first inning, three of which scored when Tyler Tollderud hit a long home run to left centerfield that nearly cleared the netting, which is used to protect the traffic on Prospect Avenue

In the second inning, it was more of the same as the Jacks were able to score six more runs to take an 11-0 lead, which was more than enough for the gifted Clark who finished with a two hitter. Clark did not give up a walk in the game. Clark, Thomas Rogers and Thomas Jezierski all had two hits for the Jacks and both Clark and Rogers added a pair of RBIs to go along with the heroics of Tollerud.

The win will move the Jacks along into the second round of the Section 7AA tourney along with Esko, Hermantown, International Falls and Two Harbors who all won on Wednesday.

Cloquet will now face #3 Hermantown at 2:00pm on Thursday in Nashwauk.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com