Above: Brian “Bubba” Finke worked out all winter and his hard work in the weight room has been showing in his atbats, where Finke has been getting big hits for the Vikings. Left: When his pitches are on, Jack Wieben is tough to beat. Wieben uses several different deliveries to keep the batters off balance
As well as things went for the Cook County High School Vikings vs. top rated Ely, they went that poorly vs. bottom dweller Carlton five days later. On Thursday, May 14, the Vikings lost to the Bulldogs 8-11 at Chub Lake. Leo Johnson started on the hill for the Vikings on a cold, wet, and windy day.
The Vikings began the game by going 3 up and 3 down. Carlton began the second half of the first with three consecutive singles. Their leadoff hitter, on third after stealing second and being advanced to third, scored on a passed ball. The fourth hitter reached on an error. The fifth reached on a fielder’s choice, the sixth sacrificed in the third run of the inning. The seventh hitter walked, and the eighth hitter drove in the fourth, but was thrown out at second to end the inning.
This, said Head Coach Arleigh Jorgenson, “was not the way to start the game.”
The Vikings did get back one run in the second. Jamie “Jammer” Wick walked, reached second on a single by Richie Furlong, advanced to third on a ground ball to third by Jack Wieben, and then scored on a passed ball.
It was windy, cold, and wet. Things were not going to go well for either team.
But the Bulldogs continued to add runs in the second. Their number nine hitter reached on an error and stole second. Their leadoff hitter grounded out to third, their next hitter singled, and their number three hitter walked. A wild pitch allowed the first run to come in. A walk followed, putting runners on first and third. A strike-out came next, followed by a single driving in two more. The third out came when the runner on first was thrown out trying to steal second.
Again, said Jorgenson, the Vikings answered back. With one out, Owen Anderson walked. Frankie Miller hit into a fielder’s choice, erasing Anderson, but advanced to second on a wild pitch. Travis Bradley walked. Jammer Wick drove in Miller with a single. Furlong drove in Bradley with another single. Furlong stole second and Wieben walked to load the bases. Wick scored on a passed ball. It was 7-4. The game was still within reach.
Leo Johnson, however, was called out at first, with the bases loaded, on a bang-bang play.
“We didn’t agree with the call, but instant replay has yet to come to the Polar League, and that was probably the ball game!” said Jorgenson.
Carlton continued to score. They added four in the third, with Rory Bakke now on the mound. A walk was followed by an error that could have started a double play. Instead, there were two runners on with no outs. Three singles followed along with an error at shortstop.
Not to be outdone, however, the Vikings tallied four of their own in the fourth. Andrew Lashinski reached on an error. Two errors and four consecutive singles by Anderson, Miller, Bradley, and Wick resulted in four runs. It was 11-8.
Bakke got two out in the bottom of the fourth, but walked two and gave up two hits resulting in two runs. Frankie Miller came in to get the last out.
Jaret Baker came in to pitch in the sixth and shut down the Bulldogs the rest of the way, but the Vikings did not have another comeback in them. The game ended 13-8.
Jorgenson summed up the game, “It was a difficult game to play, our boys battled all the way, but this is a game to put in the rear-view mirror. Carlton out-hit us 11-8, but both teams made five errors. Ours, however, seemed to come at the most crucial and consequential of times. They were simple errors, errors that this team normally does not make. We will be OK. We play Wrenshall tomorrow (May 21) and Mesabi East on Friday to end the season. Playoffs begin next Tuesday.”
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