VFW now 9-0

Ely's VFW baseball team ran its season-long winning streak to nine games on Thursday, going on the road and sweeping Eveleth 13-0 and 7-5 in Border Area action.

It's the best start in years for Post 2717, which won the Border Area crown a year ago and returns most of its starting lineup.

Tuesday,  Nick Mathews and Trevor Bernsdorf combined on a one-hitter as Ely whipped visiting Virginia 11-0 in five innings. Mathews pitched two  perfect innings before leaving with a sore elbow, but Bernsdorf followed up and fanned eight in three innings of work.

A five-run barrage in the second inning sealed the win. Louie Gerzin stroked a two-run single during the frame and came all the way around to score on the same play, thanks to two Virginia errors.  Tom Bonk had a two-run double for the winner while Bernsdorf had two hits, including a triple.

Mathews, Will Gustafson and Riley Bernsdorf all had two hits.

Ely rallied to win the nightcap 4-3 as Trevor Bernsdorf stole home, on the back end of a double steal, to score the game-winning run in the fifth. He and Cody Bialik had run-scoring hits for Ely, and Riley Bernsdorf held Virginia to four hits.

Ely is off until Tuesday, when it visits Chisholm.