Head Coach Arleigh Jorgenson talked strategy with his baseball team at a recent game. The Vikings were regulated to practicing inside for much of the spring, but when their chance to play outside came, they surprised several teams in the play-offs.
The Cook County High School (CCHS) baseball team has been hotter than a Nolan Ryan fastball lately, taking two more wins in the Section 7A double-elimination playoffs.
On Thursday, May 29, 2014, the Vikings traveled to play Nashwauk-Keewatin in the first game, winning 9-7.
The Vikings exploded for seven runs in the second inning utilizing two hit batsmen, four walks, one error, and 3 hits.
“Their third pitcher finally found his groove and settled down for the Spartans,” said Head Coach Arleigh Jorgenson
Joe Borud started on the mound for the Vikings and was relieved by Leo Johnson with two outs in the fourth after an error and two walks. Nashwauk kept coming back with two runs in the third, two more in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth. The Vikings scored one run in the fourth and one in the sixth, just enough to hold off the Spartans with Frankie Miller coming in and closing the door in the seventh inning.
Vikings defeat Silver Bay i n five innings
Like a quarterback of a football team, the catcher sets the tempo and calls the plays for the baseball team. Richie Furlong (above) did all of that and more for the Vikings this year.
Next up for the Vikings was Silver Bay, who finally took their first loss in the tournament when the Ely Timberwolves beat them. Sean MacDonell took the mound for the Vikings and shut the Mariners down in the first inning. Meanwhile the Vikings scored 7 runs off of three hits, a walk, hit batsman, and an error in the first inning.
Silver Bay came back with four runs on five consecutive hits in the second inning while the Vikings added one more run in the second half of the inning. MacDonell found his groove again and kept the Mariners scoreless in the third inning while the Vikings added three more runs off of four hits and a walk.
MacDonell struggled to find the strike zone in the fourth inning and was relieved by Andrew Lashinski, who came in with the bases loaded and no outs. A Mariner double brought in three runs, but Lashinski was able to limit the damage to those three runs and finish the game. Meanwhile the Viking hitters pounded the ball and scored seven more runs in the fourth off of five hits and two Mariner errors. The Vikings won 18-7 after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Owen Anderson led Viking hitters by going 3-3 and reaching base on an error. Joe Borud, Jamie Wick, Frankie Miller, and Jack Wieben each had two hits, Richie Furlong, Rory Bakke, and Leo Johnson also each had a hit for the Vikings.
“These games were marked by excellent at-bats throughout the Vikings’ line-up, and solid defense,” said Coach Jorgenson. “Our pitching was just enough. There were too many walks for our liking, but the depth of our pitching paid dividends in the end. A confident and happy team returned late tonight from Hibbing, eager to practice again tomorrow after a day of final exams! We are looking at this tournament as our final exams for baseball, and the marks are high across the board,” Jorgenson said.
Vikings bow out of playoffs
What began as an inauspicious start for the young Vikings’ baseball team ended on a playoff run that nearly took them to the state tournament. Because of late snow, the team had few outdoor practices before playoffs, a crippling dilemma for an outdoor sport such as baseball. But when the kids did get out of the gym, they made rapid progress and nearly got to the Twin Cities for the state tourney.
Such is the beauty of sports.
The Vikings had one bad inning against South Ridge in their Section 7A semi-final playoff baseball game played in Hibbing on Tuesday, June 3, but it was enough to cost them the victory.
South Ridge scored 8 runs in the third inning and went on to beat the Vikings 10-4. Frankie Miller took the loss on the mound for the Vikings while Joe Borud— the lone senior on the team—went 2-4 at the plate, scoring two runs and getting two RBIs.
While the kids left the field with their heads down, their head coach, Arleigh Jorgenson said they had nothing to be ashamed about.
Jorgenson has a great group of young, talented ball players who—with practice— will only get better. Practice for the summer Babe Ruth League play began the next day, with the first American Legion home game scheduled for June 9 at 5 p.m. against North Shore rival Two Harbors.
Leave a Reply