School Records Fall in Proctor’s 8-0 Win over Superior

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May 8, 2012

By Max Mercy

PROCTOR — Jake Lewis threw a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts as Proctor defeated Superior 8-0 in a Lake Superior Conference baseball game at Terry Egerdahl Memorial Field in Proctor.

Lewis (3-1, 0.47 ERA) allowed just one walk and one hit batsman. He threw 82 pitches, 62 of which were strikes. Lewis tied a 34-year-old school record with his 20th career win. Dale Nikko, a 1978 PHS graduate, won 20 games between 1975-78, including a 10-1 record in 1977.

Ryan McCarthy was 2-for-4 with an RBI. He was tied with 2011 graduate Tyler Pionk with 72 career hits going in to the game, and is now the new PHS record-holder with 74 career hits.

Jimmy Merling, who was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, scored three runs, breaking Pionk’s school record for career runs scored. Pionk’s record was 70; Merling, a junior, has now scored 72 runs.

Proctor went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Merling led off with a double and advanced to second base when Jesse Scanlon walked. McCarthy hit into a fielder’s choice, forcing Scanlon out at second and advancing Merling to third base. Cody Dolsen delivered an RBI double, scoring Merling and sending McCarthy to third. McCarthy scored on an RBI single by Ben Nelson.

The Rails scored two runs in the second inning to make the score 4-0. Jake Malec reached on an error and scored from first base on a double by Ian Scherber. Scherber advanced to third on Merling’s ground out, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Scanlon.

Proctor plated two more runs in the fourth inning. Malec led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ian Scherber. Malec scored from second on an RBI single by Merling, who advanced two bases on an outfield error. Scanlon followed with an RBI single scoring Merling.

Ben Nelson hit a solo home run in the fifth for a 7-0 lead, and Proctor tacked on one more run in the sixth when Merling led off with a single and moved two bases on an errant pickoff attempt. He scored on an RBI single by McCarthy.

Nelson and Malec had two hits apiece, and Malec scored two runs.

Superior’s Spencer Severson singled in the first inning for the Spartans’ lone hit.

Losing pitcher Dane Sislo worked the first two innings. He allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and one walk. Jordan McDonald threw two innings of relief, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk. Severson pitched the last two innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks. He had three strikeouts.

Proctor scored 8 runs on 13 hits, with two errors and six left on base.

Superior scored zero runs on one hit, with three errors and five left on base.

Proctor (7-3) is at Cloquet on Thursday. Superior (5-8) is at Ashland on Friday for a doubleheader.

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