Top left: Vikings’ catcher Dillon Sjogren locates a foul ball and makes a fine catch. Above: Andrew Miller (11) slides safely into third base. Left: Tristen Bockovich (21) gets set to deliver a pitch. The Vikings are now 8-1 on the season with a lot of baseball left to be played if the weather will allow it. Staff photos/Laurie Johnson
Andrew Miller was gold on the mound for the Vikings in their Thursday, May 2 away game against South Ridge.
Miller pitched a complete 7-inning game, allowing three hits and one run while recording 15 strikeouts in the Vikings’ 2-1 win.
The Vikings took an early 1-0 lead when Joe Deschampe doubled in the first inning, driving in Dillon Sjogren.
South Ridge knotted the score in the third inning behind an RBI double from Joe Janke.
When asked if Miller’s strikeout total was a school record head coach Arleigh Jorgensen replied, “It may be. We just don’t hang on to those kinds of stats. I would say Andrew’s performance yesterday brings to my mind a few of the awesome swing and miss pitchers we have had here at CCHS.
“In our first year of high school play after several years of American Legion play, Travis VanDoren might have been the best ever. Dustin Nelson too. Then Casey Kimball, Sammy Warren, and Dylan Quaife.
“These guys were strikeout pitchers and threw some big games for us. Andrew Miller joins their ranks as one of our all-time best.
“Credit also has to go to his catcher behind the plate yesterday, Dillon Sjogren. A couple of big hits, from Dillon and Joe Deschampe, gave us just enough to defeat last season’s section champion. A big win. It’s Ely tomorrow, Barnum on Monday, and Two Harbors on Tuesday!”
South Ridge also received some great pitching. Matt Clark started and lasted four and one-third innings. He was chased after Conner Somnis batted first in the top of the 5th and singled. Cameron Roy sacrificed, and Somnis moved to second. Miller, who has had a hot bat lately, took the count to 3-1 before getting walked. That brought Dillon Sjogren to the plate, and the Vikings’ big catcher drove one deep into left field for an RBI double.
Clark, who took the loss, was relieved by Bushbaum. He left with three strikeouts while giving up two runs and allowing four hits.
The Vikings got one hit each from Levi Sheils, Conner Somnis, Dillon Sjogren, and Joe Deschampe.
Once again the Vikings didn’t record an error in the field.
Vikings beat Ely
With the score tied 5-5 and one out in the bottom of the 7th, Andrew Miller singled to right field. With the wind blowing out and the Vikings’ two big power hitters up next, the Ely coach came out and told the umpire he was walking Dillon Sjogren and Joe Deschampe to load the bases.
It was a good strategy. It increased the chance of a double play, but the speedy Miller scored the winning run from third on a passed ball to give the Vikings a thrilling 6-5 win on Saturday, May 4.
Tristen Bockovich started for the Vikings. Tristen went four innings, striking out eight while giving up four hits and three runs before being relieved by Dillon Sjogren. Sjogren pitched one and one-third innings, giving up two runs before being relieved by Adam Dorr. Adam didn’t allow a run or a hit in his one and one-third inning of relief, and he was credited with the win.
Andrew Miller led the Viking with two hits. Miller doubled in the first inning to drive in the team’s first run.
Ely tied the game in the top of the sixth on a single by Mason Davis, who drove in T.J. Banks to make the score 5-5.
Ely’s reliever Bryce Fairchild was credited with the loss. He pitched one and one-third innings, striking out two while allowing one run and one hit.
Cameron Roy was 1-3, Miller was 2-2 with one RBI, Sjogren was 1-2 with two RBIs, Joe Deschampe was 1-3 with one RBI, and Josh Prom was 1-2 with two RBIs.
Tyler Housley led Ely with 3-4 at the plate while driving in two runs.
Vikings blow out Barnum
Adam Dorr pitched a complete game for the Vikings on Monday, May 6, allowing three hits, one run, and striking out three and walking one batter in the Vikings’ 8-1 victory over the visiting Barnum Bombers.
Leading the Vikings on offense was Dillon Sjogren who was three for four from the plate with one walk and two RBIs. Andrew Miller got two hits and the following Vikings each got one hit: Cameron Roy, Levi Sheils, Dillon Sjogren, Aram Falter; Deschampe. Sheils, and Sjogren came up with big RBIs in the Vikings’ four-run fifth inning.
Isaac Gulen was credited with the loss for the Barnum Bombers. Gulen allowed eight hits and four runs over four innings.
Aram Falter led the team in stolen bases with three while the varsity tallied 15 stolen bases for the game.
Vikings sweep Two Harbors in a doubleheader
You know the pitcher is having a good day when his fielders ask him to let them play a little.
But Andrew Miller was stingy – through five innings he allowed one fly ball, otherwise he struck out the side in the first game against Two Harbors on Tuesday, May 7.
Miller ended with14 strikeouts in six innings, walking one batter in a 10-0 rout of the Agates. The game ended after six innings because of the 10 run rule.
That gives Miller 29 strikeouts in the last 13 innings he has pitched.
Joe Deschampe hit for a single and a double while going 2 for 3 at the plate with two RB’s; Levi Sheils was 2-2 with an RBI, and he scored three runs and also stole base three times; Tristen Bockovich was 2-4 with a double and a stolen base, and Andrew Miller doubled with the bases loaded to bring in 3 RBIs.
Vikings win 11-8
Tristen Bockovich went six innings in the second game against the Agates. Bockovich allowed four hits, one run, four walks and struck out 10.
The Agates rallied for five runs in the fifth inning, but in the end, the Vikings had too much offense and held the Double-A school at bay.
Dillon Sjogren was 2-2 at the plate with an RBI and two stolen bases. Josh Prom was 2-3 with an RBI scoring twice and recording three stolen bases; Andrew Miller was 2-4, one of the hits was a double, with an RBI, scoring twice and stealing one base.
The Vikings had games scheduled Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week as they try to make up a half dozen games lost to bad weather.
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