Cloquet Boys Use Seven Run Fourth Inning To Defeat Superior

Wes Vork-NSO

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Apr 23, 2012

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

Cloquet’s Adam Hanson pitched a three hitter Monday afternoon as the Cloquet Lumberjacks showed they too will have a say when the Section 7AA playoffs come around by defeated the Superior Spartans by a final score of 8-1 at Ed Mettner field in Cloquet. The Lumberjacks responded Monday as they were coming off a 9-7 loss last Friday to Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers in Cloquet.

The Spartans would get on the scoreboard first Monday afternoon as Trent Olson reached on an error; he advanced to second on a passed ball and scored what would be Superior’s only run of the game on a single from Spencer Severson to give the Spartans the early 1-0 lead.

The Lumberjacks tied the game in the bottom of the second inning when Brandon Conklin scored to tie the game at 1-1. Conklin walked to start the inning move to second on a single from Eric Peterson, advance to third base on the second walk of the inning to Jake Schwinn, and was driven in on a sacrifice fly from Kaleb Kadelbach.

Conklin started the huge seven run fourth inning for Cloquet which put the game away as Conklin singled to start the inning and scored all the way from second base on a throwing error for the Jacks second run of the game. Cloquet then added singles by Kadelbach and a single by Kellin Lamirande, which drove in the second run of the inning to give Cloquet a 3-1 lead.

Derek Anderson was next at bat and he was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Cloquet, an error by the Superior second baseman allowed Kadelbach to score to make it 4-1 at that point. Lamirande scored on a RBI off the bat of Cole Johnson, and a bases loaded RBI went to Taylor Blundell as he walk which scored Derek Anderson from third base, making the score 6-1.

The inning continued for Cloquet as Brandon Conklin hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Adam Hanson. The seventh run of the inning came across when Johnson scored on a double steal which the run came across before Blundell was tagged out trying to steal second base.

Hanson, the winning pitcher allowed only three hits on the afternoon; he struck out six and walked none in the Lumberjacks victory. Nik Mattson was the losing pitcher for the Spartans. Cloquet improves to 4-2 on the season and they will be in action again on Tuesday when they host section rival Virginia at Mettner field.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com