Upper left: Ritchie Furlong gets ready to lay down a bunt in the first game of a double-header against Brookston Friday, July 20. The North Shore American Legion team split with Brookston, losing the first game and winning the second. Lower left: Joe Borud pitched well in the second game for the win. Above: Lucas Phillips ran in from right field to cover third base and put a nice tag on the Brookston runner trying to advance on a double steal.
The North Shore American Legion Baseball team finished its season on Friday with a 10-8 win over Brookston. We began the season with a 13-12 win over Chisholm and finished with this similar, but much more polished win over Brookston, for a 4-12 record overall. Our team decided to withdraw from the end of season district tournament. We were down to a demanding tournament schedule and only nine players. We decided to end responsibly, but on a high note.
Joe Borud started this final game for the Vikings and in the first inning gave up two runs on two hits, two walks, two wild pitches, and an error. Things looked shaky for the home team! But, the local boys put up three of their own in the bottom of the first on a lead-off single by Colin Everson and a follow-up single by Owen Anderson. Colin took third on Owen’s single and then scored on a double steal as Anderson slid safely into second. Owen then stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Borud reached on a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on the above mentioned wild pitch. Frankie Miller drove him in with a ground ball to the second-baseman.
Borud held Brookston scoreless for the next two innings, thanks to a nifty run-down between home plate and third base, initiated by Richie Furlong and Frankie Miller. When they got the ball into Dylan Quaife’s hands, it was over for the Brookston runner!
Momentum had swung heavily to the Vikings as they scored six times in the bottom of the third. Colin reached first as the catcher could not handle strike three. Owen, Dylan, and Joe followed with singles. Richie drew a walk and Jaret Baker placed a double into right field. Richie scored on a wild pitch and Jaret moved to third before scoring on another wild pitch.
Brookston came back as Joe began to struggle, walking two and throwing three wild pitches. Colin came in to relieve and elicit a ground ball from their number four hitter. Two walks, however, loaded the bases and the score was 9-7. Dylan Quaife, after throwing over 100 pitches against Moose Lake on Tuesday, came in and struck out the final batter of the inning. Brookston scored one more run in the top of the sixth with three consecutive singles off Dylan, but as we have seen him do many times throughout his career, he struck out the side leaving runners stranded on second and third. The Vikings scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Sean MacDonell. Lucas Phillips moved him to third with a perfect sacrifice bunt, and Colin drove him in with a double.
There were several outstanding defensive plays in the field. In the first inning, a third run was prevented when Owen Anderson hit cut-off man, Dylan Quaife, who threw a strike to Richie Furlong to nail the Brookston runner trying to score. Owen was the featured player in the fifth when the Brookston lead-off hitter smashed a towering fly into deep center. Owen turned immediately and sprinted straight back and had to turn completely around as the ball began to slice to his other side. Because of his great jump on the ball, he was there in plenty of time. He picked up the ball and let it settle into his glove over his left shoulder. Seeing Owen make that play was worth the trip up to the old ball field on Friday!
But, our spectators had already seen another spectacular play in the fourth when Dylan Quaife went into the hole at shortstop, back-handed the ball and threw a bullet to first base, which Joe Borud scooped cleanly out of the dirt at first base. This was a spectacular play on both ends.
The Vikings did lose the first game to Brookston, and unearned runs were the main reason. Daniel Wilson from Silver Bay threw a gem and deserved better than a 0-5 loss, but we were facing Dan Woods, Brookston’s All-Star pitcher who will attend St. Scholastica next year and play baseball there. Runs against Woods have been scarce for everyone all season long.
Prior to our games with Moose Lake, our young, short-handed, and rotating roster endured some discouraging losses. On July 11, we lost two in Esko, 7-19 and 0-18. We were overmatched, it was hot, and they took the wind out of our sails.
Two days earlier we had lost to a superb Ely team 5-15 and 1-11. We did pick up two forfeit wins on July 7 when Carlton simply did not show up for two games and a picnic! We had hoped for a couple of competitive games with Carlton. They were needed. We were coming off July 1 losses to Deer River 0-16 and 4-15, and June 25 losses to Marble 1-11 and 4-11.
But, this is a resilient team. They never lost sight of their goal, which was to play up, to challenge themselves for future days when they will face very good teams with a lot more on the line. There were several players who never missed a game and rarely missed a practice, and with just a couple of exceptions, their practices were solid, intentional and purposeful.
Also deserving compliments are our older players Colin Everson, Dylan Quaife, and Daniel Wilson. These young men provided leadership and encouragement every step of the way. Thanks are in order. Cook County and North Shore Baseball has benefited from their dedication and commitment this summer.
Congratulations for this exemplary season to Dylan Quaife, Daniel Wilson, Colin Everson, Joe Borud, Richie Furlong, Frankie Miller, Owen Anderson, Lucas Phillips, Rory Bakke, Jaret Baker, Jack Wieben, Sean MacDonell, Pete Summers, and also to Colton Furlong for being there when we needed him and breaking up the no-hitter in Esko!
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