Cloquet Tops Esko 5-4 With Seventh Inning Hit

Click here for the complete game box score

May 22, 2012

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

Brandon Conklin’s one out single in the top of the seventh inning allowed Derek Anderson and Adam Hanson to score and give Cloquet a one run 5-4 win in Esko Tuesday afternoon. Conklin, who took over on the mound as well for the Lumberjacks pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh as Cloquet picks up the sectional win on the road.

The Eskomos jumped out in front in the bottom of the second inning as the Eskomos collected two runs on four hits to take an early 2-0 lead. Ryan Holte singled in Jarred Mattson, and Holte also scored on a single from Corey McDonnell.

Esko added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning Tuesday as Aaron Olson walked to start the bottom of the second inning and came across later in the inning on a single from Max Reinertsen. Jared Mattson came across with his second run of the game when Holte picked up his second hit and second run batted in.

Cloquet cut the Eskomos lead to 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning; two Esko errors, a hit batter, a walk, and a single all led to Cloquet posting three runs in the fifth inning. Eric Peterson, Cole Johnson, and Dylan Michaud, who was running for Kellin Lamirande all scored in the inning; which cut the Eskomos lead to one run.

Derek Anderson started the top of the seventh inning with a double, he moved to third on a single from Adam Hanson and both runners came across on the single from Conklin as Cloquet picks up their eighth win in their last 10 games.

Conklin was the winning pitcher for Cloquet, going five innings while allowing no runs, and one hit. He walked two and struck out three Eskomo batters. Mattson was the losing pitcher for Esko, he went seven innings, gave up 10 hits, five runs, only two of which were earned, he struck out one and walked two batters.

Hanson, Anderson, and Johnson all had two hits for the Lumberjacks in the victory Tuesday, Kaleb Kadelbach finished with two runs batted in as did Brandon Conklin. Ryan Holte and Andy Hendricks each finished with two hits for the Eskomos in the loss.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northplandsportsonline.com