Top: Sliding hard into second base, Tristen Bockovich was safe on this play. Above: Showing good form, Josh Prom laid down a perfect bunt. Left: Ethan Sporn delivered some “heat” to the Mariner batter he faced in the sixth inning.
Down 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Vikings played “small ball” to rally and take a 2-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning over the Silver Bay Mariners on Tuesday, April 11.
Batting in the top of the sixth, Colton Furlong blooped a single over the infield. Running hard, Furlong scored on a well placed bunt down the third base line by Josh Prom that resulted in a wild throw to first base and a second wild throw. When it ended Prom’s 10-foot hit resulted in a run scored and Josh standing on third base with the go-ahead run.
Andrew Miller hit a long sacrifice fly into center field to score Prom and for the first time all evening the Vikings led the Mariners 2-1.
Ethan Sporn pitched the last two innings of the game. He walked the first batter in the seventh but a force out at second left the Vikings needing only two more outs to take a hard fought win. It wasn’t to be though because the next Mariner hit a long double to score the runner on first. Jake Bilben, who until last year was a CCHS Viking, tagged Sporn for a single to score the runner from second and the Mariners would leave the inning up 3-2.
Tristen Bockovich led off the seventh inning with a single to get the Viking fans’ hopes up, but Nick Perfetto, the Silver Bay pitcher struck out the next three Vikings and the Mariners took a hard fought win in cold temperatures. Perfetto ended the game with 10 strikeouts.
Andrew Miller started the game for the Vikings on the mound and struck out most of the batters that he faced before being pulled early in the third inning. Head Coach Arleigh Jorgenson liked what he saw out of Miller, but didn’t want him to strain his arm in the 46 degree F temps that included a cold wind blowing in from the lake. Tristen Bockovich also pitched well for two-plus innings and Sporn looked sharp even though it was getting colder as the game wore on.
All in all there were some great fielding plays, a big scoop out of the dirt on first base by Joe Deschampe on a wild throw, a great catch in center field by Miller who moved there after pitching, and many fine plays behind the plate by catcher Dillon Sjogren, just to name a few.
The Vikings are young. Sophomore Dillon Sjogren started at catcher; freshman Garrett Curran at second base; sophomore Joe Deschampe at first base; senior Erik Lawler at third base; sophomore Tristen Bockovich at shortstop; junior Colton Furlong in left; sophomore Josh Prom in center; and sophomore Cameron Roy in right field with sophomore Andrew Miller on the mound.
After the game head coach Arleigh Jorgenson said, “Most of them (kids) played last summer and made significant progress in terms of their skill levels and also in terms of becoming a team. They have been working hard in practice, but only Colton Furlong and Andrew Miller return from last season’s starting line-up. There were nerves and there were mistakes, but they do know how to win. We knew our best chances would come late, and they did. We had just a few defensive mistakes and they cost us the game. If we cannot hit the ball better than we did tonight, our pitching and defense will have to carry us. They almost did. Had we won, it would have been because of a Silver Bay mistake. We lost because we missed a cut-off, and missed a couple of tags. But, you are right, small ball has a place with this team. These Vikings are enthusiastic and impatient. We have a lot of work to do, but I think our fans will enjoy watching them improve as the season continues.
“Our at bats were weak, but we have had just one day of hitting off one another’s live arms. Our swings are pretty good, and we have been hitting lots off of our new pitching machine, but we need live pitching experience. Our games are exactly what we need. Our pitching was good, but it was not as good as it can be. It was cold tonight, and their conditioning is still incomplete as well. We head to Carlton on Thursday, and then we have a week to put some of the pieces together. I like these kids. They will get it done.”
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