Saturday, July 30, 2011

DII Championship Game Final

bottom of the fifth, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 lob

EV-W 613  05    15
Ely      001  20    3

Eden Valley-Watkins wins DII Championship

DII Championship Game Update

top of the fifth, 5 runs, 3 hits, 1 errors, 3 lob

EV-W 613  05
Ely      001  2

DII Championship Game Update

bottom of the fourth, 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 errors, 1 lob

EV-W 613  0
Ely      001  2

(2 run hr by Jory Johnson)

DII Championship Game Update

top of the fourth, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 lob

EV-W 613  0
Ely      001

DII Championship Game Update

bottom of the third, 1 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 0 lob

EV-W 613
Ely      001

DII Championship Game Update

top of the third, 3 runs, 3 hits, 1 errors, 1 lob

EV-W 613
Ely      00

(3 run 2b by Matt Geislinger)

DII Championship Game Update

bottom of the second, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 errors, 2 lob

EV-W 61
Ely      00

DII Championship Game Update

top of the second, 1 runs, 2 hits, 1 errors, 2 lob

EV-W 61
Ely      0

DII Championship Game Update

bottom of the first, 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 lob

EV-W 6
Ely      0

DII Championship Game Update

top of the first,  6 runs, 3 hits, 1 errors, 0 lob

EV-W 6
Ely

DII Championship Game

Eden Valley - Watkins v Ely
first pitch 245pm

Third Place Game Final

Luverne 6
La Crescent 7   (8 innings)

La Crescent takes Third Place in the Minnesota DII Legion Baseball Tournament

Third Place Game Update

After 7 and a half complete...
Luverne 6
La Crescent 5

Third Place Game Update

After 7 complete...
Luverne 5
La Crescent 5

Third Place Game Update

After 6 complete...
Luverne 5
La Crescent 5

Third Place Game Update

After 5 complete...
Luverne 5
La Crescent 5

Third Place Game Update

After 4 complete...
Luverne 3
La Crescent 4

Third Place Game

After 2 complete...
Luverne 3
La Crescent 4

Ely tops Luverne, reaches state title game

Alex Koschak survived a shaky stretch in the middle innings Friday night and pitched Ely to a berth in the state championship game.

Before a raucous crowd of 833 fans at Veterans Memorial Field, the senior righthander scattered 10 hits and induced two double-play balls, including one to end the game, as Ely downed Luverne 8-4 in the Division II state semifinals.

Ely, now 22-8, will take on Eden Valley-Watkins at 2 pm Saturday for the state title. Both teams will advance to next week's Division II regional at Viroqua, Wis.

Greg Helget's squeeze bunt in the bottom of the second gave Post 248 a jumpstart and Ely bolted out to a 4-0 lead.

Luverne countered with three runs in the top of the third, but Ely answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the frame, aided by a pair of errors.

Koschak gave up a run in the fourth but escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth.

Wes Snyder, meanwhile, had a run-scoring single in the fourth and a run-scoring double in the sixth to provide valuable insurance.

Koschak had his only perfect frame in the sixth and started a 1-6-3 double play to finish the game and bring the large crowd to its feet.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Semifinal Final

Luverne 4
Ely          8

Luverne will face La Crescent at 11am in the third place game.
Ely will take on Eden Valley-Watkins in the Minnesota State Legion DII Championship at 2pm

Semifinal Update

After 6 complete...
Luverne 4
Ely          8

Semifinal Update

After 5 complete...
Luverne 4
Ely          7

Semifinal Update

After 4 complete...
Luverne 4
Ely          7

Semifinal Update

After 3 complete...
Luverne 3
Ely          6

Semifinal Update

After 2 innings complete...
Luverne 0
Ely    4

Semifinal Update

Luverne v Ely 
first pitched 838pm

Semifinal Linescore

            R   H   E  LOB
EV-W 10  14  6  7
LC        4    6  4  10

Semifinal Final

Eden Valley-Watkins 10
La Crescent 4

Ely v Luverne to start approximately 40 minutes...

Semifinal Update

Eden Valley-Watkins 10 La Crescent 4 (top of 7th)

Semifinal Update

Eden Valley-Watkins 9, La Crescent 4.... 6th inning

Semi Finals Begin; Consolation Decided

Holdingford defeated Kenyon 7-1 to claim the Consolation Title at Veterans Memorial Field earlier today. Four teams remain in the hunt for the state title; La Crescent, Eden Valley-Watkins, Luverne, and Ely. La Crescent and Eden Valley-Watkins first pitch at 5:32. Ely and Luverne to follow at 8:00 tonight.

Holdingford wins consolation title

Holdingford 7, Kenyon 1, Final;

Holdingford wins consolation trophy for second straight year

La Crescent vs. Eden Valley-Watkins, first pitch tentatively set for 5:35 p.m.

Consolation Finals Update

Holdingford scores 4 in the bottom of the third to extend their lead 7-1 over Kenyon.

Kenyon advances to consolation final

Kenyon erased a 4-2 deficit with five runs in the top of the sixth, then held on to beat Hawley 7-6 in a consolation semifinal game Friday in the Division II State Tournament.

Brady Anfinson came on in the seventh to record the save, inducing a double-play ball after Hawley put the leadoff man aboard in the bottom of the seventh

Kenyon advances to meet Holdingford in the consolation final. Tentative start time is 3:05 p.m.

Hawley vs. Kenyon update

Bottom of the fifth: Hawley 4, Kenyon 2.

Hawley vs. Kenyon update

Two innings complete at Veterans Memorial Field:
Kenyon 0, Hawley 0

Winner to play Holdingford at 3 pm

Holdingford beats Marble 8-0 behind a no-hitter from Bryce Feia. It was the second no-hitter in the tournament and second in as many games.

Game 6

The second consolation semi-final is under way. Hawley and Kenyon first pitch 12:28.

Game 5 Final

Holdingford takes down Marble by a score of 8-0. Hawley and Kenyon taking infield at the moment and we are just about ready for some more baseball. Holdingford awaits the winner at 3:00 in the Consolation Championship Game.

Game 5 After 4

Holdingford leads 3-0 over Marble at the end of the fourth.

Game 5 After 2

Marble and Holdingford still scoreless at the end of two.

Under Way

The first consolation semi-final is under way. First pitch 9:58, Marble vs. Holdingford.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Big crowd, big win for Ely

Ely’s American Legion baseball team gave a packed house at Veterans Memorial Field plenty to cheer about on Thursday night.

Before an overflow crowd of more than 700 fans and after a stirring opening ceremony that involved all eight teams and dozens of veterans, Post 248 capped the night with a rousing 12-1 rout of Kenyon in the Division II State Tournament quarterfinals.

Starting pitcher Wes Snyder launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and went four innings to get the win, combining with Trevor Bernsdorf on a five-inning no-hitter.

Riley Bernsdorf, meanwhile, had the night’s longest hit - a towering two-run homer to left that landed across Eighth Avenue and bounced down White Street.

In all, Ely had 12 hits - five for extra-bases - en route to a surprisingly easy victory.

Being in the visitors’ role may have even been a help to Post 248.

Home teams for state tournament games are predetermined, and Ely was in the first base dugout and hit first despite playing in its own ballpark.

That didn’t seem to deter Post 248, which got first-inning singles from Sean Fisher and Trevor Bernsdorf and took a 2-0 lead on Riley Bernsdorf’s two-run double to right.

Snyder dominated on the mound, and Ely never stopped hitting.

Now 21-8, Ely moves into a Friday night (8 p.m.) semifinal with Luverne. La Crescent meets Eden Valley-Watkins at 5:30 p.m., in the first semifinal. The winners meet for the state title at 2 pm Saturday, and the third-place game is set for 11 am.

Game 4 line

Ely 12 12 3
Kenyon 1 0 1
(5 innings 10 run rule)

Game 4 after 4 innings

Ely 11
Kenyon 1

Game 4 after 2 innings

Ely 4
Kenyon 0

Game 4

Lights on at Veterans Memorial Field. Beautiful summer evening. Ely drew visitor's spot. Kenyon in the field.

Kenyon v Ely Game 4 final

Ely 12
Kenyon 1
5 Innings (10 run rule)

Game 4 Preview

Sun is setting -- long shadows over field. Tournament opening ceremony honored Ely's veterans and all of America's servicemen and women. 78F West winds at 10. Host Ely is home v Kenyon. Game should start in about 20 minutes as the teams are stretching following the opening ceremony. Come visit us at Ely for tomorrow's semi-finals. See some fine youth baseball and the Coolest Small Town in America, Ely, Minnesota.

Game 3 Line

Luverne 7 11 2
Hawley 6 12 2

Game 4

First pitch 8:26

Game 3 Final

Luverne 7
Hawley 6
9 innings

Game 3 after 8 innings

Luverne 5
Hawley 5

Game 3 After 7 innings

Luverne 5
Hawley 5

After 6 innings

Luverne 5
Hawley 5

After 4 innings

Luverne 2
Hawley 3

After 2 innings

Luverne 2
Hawley 1

Game 3

Luverne v Hawley first pitch 4:57

One hour until game 3

Luverne v Hawley scheduled to begin at 5:30 -- officials are saying we may start a few minutes early. 81F. Sunny. West winds (to left field) at 10 with occasional gusts to 15+. Luverne will be the home team.

Game 2 Line

EV-W 14 14 0
Marble 6 7 4

Game 2 Final

Eden Valley - Watkins 14
Marble 6

After 6 Innings

EV-W 14
Marble 6

After 4 Innings

EV-W 11
Marble 5

After 2 Innings

EV-W 6
Marble 0

Marble v Eden Valley-Watkins

First pitch at 1:27

Marble v Eden Valley-Watkins

Umpires meeting with the coaches at home plate. Player introductions in a minutes. Game start in 10 min.

Between games

Baseball talk, burgers, warm breeze, classic music. Two games tonight and more tomorrow and Saturday. If you're a baseball fan, come to Ely for the action. Just a block away is Ely's popular Blueberry Arts Festival. Visit us at the End of the Road.

Next Game

Marble v Eden Valley-Watkins at 1:30. 79F, sunny, wind west 10

Game 1 Line

LaCrescent 3 4 3
Holdingford 0 4 3

Game 1 Final

La Crescent 3 Holdingford 0

After 6 innings

LaCrescent 3 Holdingford 0

After 4 innings

LaCrescent 3 Holdingford 0

Game Update

La Crescent scores one in the bottom of the second. They lead 1-0 over Holdingford at the end of two.
We are under way at Veterans Memorial Field. First pitch 10:56.

Update pre game

Teams stretching -- going to be a fun day.

Pre-game report

Perfect conditions this morning for the tourney. 73F, calm and sunny. Partly cloudy this afternoon with 10-15 west (toward left field) winds. Veterans Memorial Field is in perfect condition. 315 down the lines and 375 to center. First game, Holdingford v LaCrescent.

Pre-game report

Perfect conditions this morning for the tourney. 73F, calm and sunny. Partly cloudy this afternoon with 10-15 west (toward left field) winds. Veterans Memorial Field is in perfect condition. 315 down the lines and 375 to center. First game, Holdingford v LaCrescent.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Let the games begin!

All eight teams are in town and the first pitch of the Division II State Tournament is just hours away.

Four quarterfinal games are on tap Thursday at Ely's Veterans Memorial Field, with defending state champion La Crescent (15-1) taking on Holdingford (15-6) in the opening game at 11 a.m.

Wednesday's festivities included team check-in and pictures during the day at the ballpark, and a tournament banquet that brought 235 people to Ely's Grand Ely Lodge.

Corey Kemp, head baseball coach at St. Scholastica, addressed the crowd while Ely Head Coach Tom Coombe was recognized as the state's coach of the year. Coombe, 41, is the youngest coach in state history to receive the award. His teams have won 385 games in 18 seasons and this marks the 10th time in 15 years that Ely has appeared in the Division II state tournament.

The banquet leads up to Thursday's action at the ballpark with the La Crescent-Holdingford tilt followed by a 1:30 p.m. matchup between Eden Valley-Watkins (12-3) and Marble (11-18).

The evening session starts at 5 p.m., with Luverne (11-3) battling Hawley (20-6). After the tournament opening ceremonies at 7 p.m., Ely (20-8) will close out the first day with its battle against Kenyon (17-6).

Look for tournament updates Thursday at www.elylegionbaseball.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Updates coming all tournament long

Elylegionbaseball.blogspot.com is your home for state Legion tournament updates throughout the Division II State Tournament.

Game scores and summaries will be available here, and for those wanting more immediate information, in-game updates will be posted on Facebook, on the Ely Legion Baseball page.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

State tournament housing for parents, fans

Because of intense demand for housing in the Ely area and very limited availability, the Ely tournament committee has set up room blocks at three area hotels for the upcoming state tournament. The rooms have been set aside for parents, fans and others coming to Ely for the tournament.

Room blocks are in place at the following hotels:
• Fortune Bay Resort and Casino, Tower, (800) 992-7529 or (218) 753-6400, rooms set
aside for July 27, 28 and 29 (Wednesday through Friday) under
"Legion state tournament parents block." These rooms are being held only until 5 pm on Monday July 25.

• Coates Plaza Hotel, Virginia, (218) 749-1000, rooms set aside for
July 27, 28 and 29 (Wednesday through Friday) under "State Legion Baseball Tournament Block." As of Sunday night, there were at least 12 rooms still available in the block plus additional rooms available outside the block.

• Super 8 Motel, Eveleth, (218) 744-1661, rooms set aside for July 27
and 28 (Wednesday and Thursday) under "Legion state tournament
parents block." This facility would not block rooms for Friday the 29th.

In Ely, there is very limited if any availability (some places with one or two rooms), but there are many places within an hour drive of Ely with rooms still available.

State tourney field complete

Four district championships were decided Sunday, setting the field for this week's Division II State Tournament at Ely.

Defending state champion La Crescent, Class A high school champion Eden Valley-Watkins, Holdingford and Kenyon all won district titles today, joining Ely, Marble, Hawley and Luverne in the eight-team state tournament.

La Crescent dispatched Byron with ease, while Eden Valley-Watkins overcame a first game hiccup and downed Granite Falls 5-1 to claim the District Seven title. In District Six, Holdingford defended its championship but needed to beat Pierz twice to do it. The most drama of the day came in Cannon Falls, where Kenyon and Le Sueur played two games to decide the District Three title. Le Sueur forced a second game with a 7-4 win, but Kenyon got a three-run homer in the sixth and a walkoff double in the bottom of the seventh to prevail 4-3, and gain its first state bid in nearly 40 years.

Thursday's quarterfinal round is now set with the following schedule:
11:00 a.m. - La Crescent vs. Holdingford
1:30 p.m. - Marble vs. Eden Valley-Watkins
5:00 p.m. - Luverne vs Hawley
7:45 p.m.- Ely vs. Kenyon

Included in between games of Thursday's evening session is the state tournament opening ceremony, when all eight teams will line the infield.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Four teams in, four yet to go

Half of the field is set for this week's Division II State Tournament, and the remaining teams should be known by late Sunday.

Marble, Hawley and Luverne joined host Ely in the eight-team tournament, which starts Thursday, based on play Saturday.

Ely, which already had its bid locked up, won the Eighth District title with a 6-0 win over Marble. Marble also advances and will fill the remaining Eighth District spot. Luverne beat Redwood Falls 7-5 to win the District 2 title while Hawley edged Warroad 3-2 in District 9.

First-round pairings are as follows:
Thursday
11:00 am - District 1 (LaCrescent in undefeated position) vs. District 6 (Pierz or Holdingford)
1:30 pm - Marble vs. Eden Valley-Watkins or Granite Falls
5:00 pm - Luverne vs. Hawley
7:45 pm - Ely vs. District 3 (LeSueur and Kenyon met in undefeated game)

District Champs!

Ely entered the 2011 season with a berth in the state tournament already secured, thanks to the automatic bid annually afforded the tournament host.

But Post 248 went ahead and earned its own berth the old fashioned way, claiming its second straight Eighth District title and its third in four years, by way of its 6-0 win over Marble Saturday afternoon at Deer River.

Senior pitcher Alex Koschak led the way, firing a three-hitter with nine strikeouts and coming up with the key offensive blow - a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the second.

Koschak, now 5-3 on the mound, also wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the third to keep Marble off the board.

Ely's second-inning rally provided all the offense Koschak would need. The key at-bat was a bases-loaded walk drawn by number-nine hitter Cody Bialik with two outs. It put Ely on the board and set the table for Koschak, who lined a pitch from Marble's Derek Bundy into the left-center gap to make it 4-0.

Trevor Bernsdorf, who had two hits, doubled and scored in the bottom of the sixth and Ely added an unearned run in the same inning.

Ely, now 20-8, outscored three district opponents by a combined score of 34-5 and takes a full head of steam into Thursday's state quarterfinals. Ely will take on the Third District champion, which will be determined Sunday, at 7:45 p.m. to close out the opening day of action at Veterans Memorial Field.

The full tournament slate should be known by Sunday, with Ely, Marble and Luverne already claiming spots in the eight-team field.

Friday, July 22, 2011

On to the finals

A couple of big first-inning hits helped Ely's Legion baseball team recover from a shaky start on Friday.

Trevor Bernsdorf's two-run homer erased an early 2-0 deficit, and Wes Snyder went deep with a three-run shot later in the frame, sparking Post 248 to a 14-4, six-inning win over Marble in the winners bracket of the Eighth District Division II playoffs.

Ely, now 19-8, has a rematch with Marble at 1 p.m. Saturday, again in Deer River, for the district title. Marble bounced back in the losers' bracket and beat Cook County 8-6 in nine innings.

Ely needs just one victory Saturday to claim its second straight district crown, while Marble needs to win twice.

Snyder, who won his seventh decision of the summer, was touched up for two unearned runs in the top of the first, but Ely answered right back with a two-out rally. Bernsdorf's shot over the left field fence tied the game, and after an error prolonged the inning, Snyder launched a shot that went over the center field fence.

Ely added two runs in both the second and third frames, and the rout was on. Snyder, who finished with five runs batted in, had a two-run single in the fifth to make it 12-4, and Nick Mathews ended the contest with a two-run single to center in the bottom of the sixth.

Mathews finished with two hits and three runs batted in, while Bernsdorf had two hits.

Snyder gave up only three hits and notched nine strikeouts. Only one of Marble's four runs was earned.

* The big story of the day in the district tournament was Deer River's shocking exit. The top seed and high school section champions fell 12-9 to Cook County. Deer River led 5-3 after four innings but gave up eight runs in the fifth. Deer River, which lost a 6-0 lead Wednesday in an 11-10 loss to Marble, finished 12-5.

• Marble was down to its last out and behind by two runs in Friday's finale, but came back to knock off Cook County for a berth in the state tournament. Cook County took a 5-3 lead into the seventh, but Marble scored three times with two outs to take the lead. Cook County tied the game and forced extra innings, but Marble pulled it out with two runs in the seventh.

Because Ely is in the state tournament as the host, Marble is assured of advancing in the Eighth District slot in the eight-team state event, which starts July 28 at Veterans Memorial Field.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Who's coming to Ely? An early look

The field for next week's state tournament in Ely won't be set until Sunday, but several districts are far along in their respective playoffs.

Several teams have put themselves in the enviable spot of reaching their district title game in the undefeated position.

Luverne is in the undefeated slot in District 2 and awaits one of three teams in the finals.

Meanwhile, Class A high school champion Eden Valley-Watkins beat Madison 7-3 Thursday night in the District 7 tournament at Montevideo behind the pitching of senior sensation Matt Geislinger. EVW will play for the title this weekend against either Madison or Granite Falls, and must be defeated twice.

In other districts:
* District 9 - Warroad and Hawley are in the undefeated position and play Friday for a spot in the championship game:
• District 6 - Holdingford has won two straight and will meet either Pierz or Staples-Motley;
• District 1 - Defending state champion LaCrescent meets Wabasha-Kellogg Saturday, with the winner moving on to Sunday's final;
• District 3 - LeSueur beat perennial power Jordan last weekend and squares off with Kenyon in the last winners' bracket game;
• District 8 - Ely is in as the host team, and it takes on Marble Friday at Deer River for a spot in the finals. Deer River and Cook County also remain in the tournament.

Check this blog for more updates as the weekend unfolds.

State tourney pairings set

The district playoffs wind down across the state of Minnesota over the next three days, but the pairings are already set for the upcoming Division II State Tournament in Ely.

The eight-team event starts Thursday July 28, at Ely's historic Veterans Memorial Field, with four first-round games. Host Ely caps off the opening day with a game against the champion from District 3.

The tournament continues next Friday with the entire consolation round during the day session, and the semifinals slated for 5:30 and 8 p.m. that night. The third-place game is set for 11:30 a.m. Saturday July 30, with the state title tilt to follow at 2 p.m. The top two finishers advance to regional play in Viroqua, Wis.

All of the visiting teams will be housed at the expense of the tournament committee on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, but only those playing for third place or the championship will be housed on Friday night.

Tournament Schedule (bracket can be found at div2baseball.tripod.com)
Thursday July 28
Game One - 11:00 a.m.: District 1 vs. District 6
Game Two - 1:30 p.m.: District 8 vs. District 7
Game Three - 5:00 p.m.: District 2 vs. District 9
Game Four - 7:45 p.m.: District 3 vs. HOST (Ely)

Friday July 29
Game Five - 10:00 a.m: Loser One vs. Loser Two
Game Six - 12:30 p.m.: Loser Three vs. Loser Four
Game Seven - 3:00 p.m: Winner Five vs.Winner Six (consolation title game)
Game Eight - 5:30 p.m.: Winner One vs. Winner Two (semifinal)
Game Nine - 8:00 p.m.: Winner Three vs. Winner Four

Saturday July 30
Game Ten - 11:30 a.m.: Loser Eight vs. Loser Nine (third-place game)
Game Eleven - 2:00 p.m.: Winner Eight vs. Winner Nine (state championship game)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Ely blows out Cook County

Ely's opening game in the Eighth District playoffs proved to be an easy one.

Post 248 exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second inning and cruised to a 14-1, five-inning victory over Cook County Wednesday afternoon in Cohasset.

The win moves Ely (18-8) into the winners' bracket final in the tournament, and a surprised date with number-four seed Marble. Marble rallied from a 6-0 deficit and stunned top-seeded Deer River 11-10 in Wednesday's other winners' bracket matchup.

Ely and Marble will meet at 3 p.m. Friday at Deer River.

Bunt singles by Sean Fisher and Cody Bialik helped set the table for Ely early on against Cook County, and the offense took care of the rest.

A two-run single by Jory Johnson capped the seven-run second, while Alex Koschak, Nick Mathew and Trevor Bernsdorf all had run-scoring hits in the frame.

Koschak's solo homer kickstarted a five-run third, and the rout was on.

Wes Snyder gained his sixth pitching win of the summer, allowing two hits in three innings of work. Koschak fired two scoreless frames in relief.

At the plate, Ely ripped out 17 hits, with Koschak, Fisher, Bernsdorf, Snyder, Mathews and Johnson all collecting two apiece. Johnson drove in four runs while Fisher scored three times.

Cook County later eliminated Brookston 12-7, setting the stage for Friday's action, all at Deer River.

Cook County meets Deer River at 12:30 p.m., followed by Ely and Marble at 3 p.m.. The winner of the Ely-Marble tilt moves into Saturday's finals while the loser must play at 5:30, against the Cook County-Deer River winner.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Tuesday's playoff games rained out

Heavy rain in the Deer River area forced the postponement of today's Eighth District Division II playoff games.

Tuesday's schedule has been pushed back to Wednesday, with number-two seed Ely to take on number-three Cook County at 4:30 p.m., at Cohasset. Top-seeded Deer River has a bye and will play at 5:30 p.m., in Deer River, against either Brookston or Marble.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Ely, Cook County to meet in districts

Five teams are left in the Eighth District Division II baseball playoffs and action takes place Tuesday at two sites, including Cohasset where Ely will tangle with Cook County.

After splitting two games during the regular season, the two teams will have a playoff rubber match at 4:30, with the winner moving on to Friday's winners' bracket final at Deer River.

Ely (17-8) is seeded second while Cook County is third. Deer River has the top seed and will take on either Marble or Brookston at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, at Deer River. The tournament runs through Saturday.

Ely already has an automatic bid in the upcoming state tournament as the host, and is assured of its 10th state tournament berth in 15 years.  One other Eighth District team will move on. If Ely wins the district title, the runner-up advances to state.

Post 248 has had an up-and-down July, including three wins in four tries in the Sir G's Midsummer Classic and a pair of losses to nemesis Deer River (12-3), which also knocked Ely off twice to win a section championship in high school baseball.

After four district games Tuesday, two at Cohasset and two at Deer River, the tournament resumes Friday with three games at Deer River. The title tilt is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Friday, Sunday games cancelled

Ely's Legion baseball team has an extended and unexpected break before playoff action begins.

That's because Friday's regular season home finale, and a Sunday afternoon road tilt - both with Chisholm - have been cancelled.

Chisholm team officials notified the rest of the league that they would fold their team for the season, because of a lack of available players. Chisholm had split six league contests.

That means Ely won't play again until Tuesday, when the Eighth District Division II playoffs start with games at both Deer River and Cohasset.

Legion splits at Cook County, falls to Deer River

Two lengthy road trips in as many days proved to be difficult for Ely's Legion baseball team.

Post 248 split at Cook County on Tuesday, and couldn't stop powerful Deer River on Wednesday.

Deer River erupted for four runs in the fourth and six in the fifth in a 15-5, five-inning district win. Ely beat Cook County 13-1 in Tuesday's opener but lost 8-3 in the finale.

Four Ely errors set the table for Deer River (8-2), and the hosts followed with a hitting display against pitchers Trevor Bernsdorf and Nick Mathews.

Jack Carter had two hits and three runs batted in for the winners, and Eythan Stangland added a pair of triples.

Ely was paced at the plate by Riley Bernsdorf, who had two hits and drove in a run. Trevor Bernsdorf and Wes Snyder had run-scoring doubles.

Alex Koschak held Cook County to four hits the day before, and he was backed by an Ely offense that ripped out 13 hits in the first game of the twinbill at Grand Marais.

Sean Fisher was three-for-three with three runs scored, and Trevor Bernsdorf had two hits. Jory Johnson also added a pair of hits.

Cook County scored five times in the second inning of the nightcap, then held off several Ely run-scoring opportunities. Post 248 stranded 11 runners in the contest, most in scoring position.

Koschak went three-for-three at the plate for Ely.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

VFW improves to 14-2

Ely's VFW baseball team continued its solid summer Monday night with an easy sweep at home over Nashwauk-Keewatin.

Louie Gerzin drove in six runs on the night while Riley Bernsdorf and Sean Jordan earned pitching wins in a 12-1, 11-3 sweep at Veterans Memorial Field.

Ely, which hosts Aurora in a Border Area twinbill at 6 p.m. today, improved to 14-2 on the year.

Neither game was much of a contest. In the opener, Bernsdorf held N-K to two hits and struck out nine. He helped his own cause with a two-run triple, while Gerzin had a two-run triple and finished with three runs batted in. Max Gantt went three-for four and both Jordan and Nick Myre added two hits.

Riley and Trevor Bernsdorf combined for four hits and six RBI in the nightcap. Jordan went the five-inning distance, allowing two hits with five strikeouts. Greg Helget and Gerzin both chipped in with two hits. Will Gustafson also contributed a pair of hits.

Ely can wrap up the Border Area regular season title with a sweep of Aurora today.


Monday, July 11, 2011

Three wins, and third place, in Sir G's Classic

Some brilliant pitching performances were enough to overcome a shaky weekend in the field, and Ely's Legion baseball team managed to win three times in four games and finish third in the nine-team Sir G's Midsummer Classic.

Post 248 made eight errors in a 15-4 loss to Virgnia on Saturday, and had shaky defensive outings in two of its three wins, including a seven-error performance in Sunday's 4-2 victory over Brookston.

But Ely still managed to gain three wins, largely on the strength of its pitching staff. Alex Koschak gave up only four hits in an opening-round 6-5 victory over Cloquet. Trevor Bernsdorf held down West Duluth in a 12-2 destruction on Saturday night, while Wes Snyder had an even better outing on Sunday.

The lefty tossed a two-hitter and had 12 strikeouts while keeping Brookston at bay in a game that doubled as an Eighth District Division II league contest.

In the opening round, Cloquet's running game gave Ely fits and the visitors took a 5-3 lead into the seventh. But the hosts managed a big rally, one that was started by Sean Fisher's double to left. A bunt single by Greg Helget, sandwiched between two walks, set the stage for Nick Mathews' walk-off two-run single.

Ely couldn't sustain its momentum against Virginia, which took an early 3-0 lead on Gavin Nichols' three-run homer, then put the hosts away with a seven-run sixth inning.

Post 248 bounced right back against West Duluth, with Bernsdorf helping his own cause with a two-run homer and Mathews following up with a three-run bomb. Fisher had three hits and Koschak finished with two for the winners.

Riley Bernsdorf drove in two runs and Koschak went three-for-three in the win over Brookston.

* Duluth Lakeview won the tournament for a second straight year, going a perfect 4-0. Virginia also won all four of its games, but was edged out by Lakeview in a tiebreaker system. Marble went 2-2 to take fourth.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Sir G's Classic starts Friday, nine teams involved

The 2011 Sir G's Midsummer Classic has a full field and northeastern Minnesota flavor.

Nine teams, all from the Eighth District, will compete in the three-day event that includes 18 games, all but five at Veterans Memorial Field. The remainder are at Legion Field in Soudan.

Duluth Lakeview is the defending champion in a tournament that includes host Ely and fellow Iron Range teams Virginia, Chisholm and Marble. Also making the trek are West Duluth, Cloquet, Brookston and Cook County.

Action begins at 12:30 p.m. Friday with Virginia taking on Cook County, and Ely wraps up the first day of activity at 8 p.m. when it takes on Cloquet. Alex Koschak is scheduled to start on the mound for Post 248.

The complete schedule is as follows:
Friday
12:30 p.m. Virginia vs. Cook County
3:00 p.m. West Duluth vs. Marble
5:30 p.m. Chisholm vs. Duluth Lakeview
5:30 p.m. Cook County vs. Brookston (at Soudan)
8:00 p.m. Ely vs. Cloquet

Saturday at Ely
9:30 a.m. Lakeview vs. Brookston
12 noon Cloquet vs. Virginia
2:30 p.m. Ely vs. Virginia
5:00 p.m. Cook County vs Chisholm
7:30 p.m. Ely vs. West Duluth

Saturday (at Soudan)
10:30 a.m. Chisholm vs. Marble
1:00 p.m. West Duluth vs. Cook County
3:30 p.m. Marble vs. Lakeview
6:00 p.m. Cloquet vs. Brookston

Sunday at Ely
9:30 a.m. Cloquet vs. Marble
12 noon Lakeview vs. West Duluth
2:30 p.m. Chisholm vs. Virginia
5:00 p.m. Ely vs. Brookston

VFW blasts Silver Bay, improves to 12-2

Trevor Bernsdorf clubbed two home runs in a rain-shortened game Thursday night, and Ely's VFW baseball teams stayed unbeaten in league play wiht a 10-2 home win over Silver Bay.

Bernsdorf launched two balls over the left field fence and finished with six runs batted in for Post 2717, now 12-2 for the summer.

Riley Bernsdorf doubled and tripled for the winners while both Bobby Shusta and Elliott Omerza went two-for-two. Winning pitcher Louie Gerzin allowed three hits and struck out six.

After a weekend off, the VFW returns to action Monday for the first of three home doubleheaders in as many days. Ely hosts Nashwauk-Keewatin at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Snyder no-hits Marble

Wes Snyder topped a big night at the plate with an even better one on the mound, firing his first career Legion no-hitter in Ely's 7-0 win at Marble Wednesday night.

The lefthander, a senior-to-be, held Marble without a hit and faced just two batters over the minimum in a dominant performance.

Snyder also helped his own cause, going four-for-five at the plate with five runs batted in. His three-run homer to center capped Ely's five-run sixth inning.

Ely, which improved to 11-5 overall and bounced back from a 6-2 loss to Deer River on Wednesday, scored single runs in the first and fifth frames and opened things up in the sixth against losing pitcher David Zilbert.

Snyder singled in a run in the first and doubled home Greg Helget in the fifth.

Those would be all the runs Snyder would need, as he fanned nine Marble hitters and issued just one walk.

Ely scored five times on five hits in the sixth, with Koschak and Nick Mathews ripping run-scoring hits before Snyder's mammoth blast.

On Wednesday, Ely was foiled by Deer River's Eythan Stangland, who took a no-hitter into the sixth before yielding two runs on a pair of hits. The lefty fanned 10 while getting the win.

Deer River also capitalized on four Ely errors and got three hits from Travis Kane. Jack Carter's two-run home run in the fifth helped seal the victory against Helget, who was touched up for nine hits.

Both Mathews and Riley Bernsdorf had run-scoring hits for Ely.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Jordan edges Ely in trip finale

Ely outhit Jordan 9-3 and had twice as many baserunners in Saturday's game, but it was Jordan that found a way to win, using a three-run rally in the sixth to pull out a 5-4 victory at the Mini Met.

Jordan, last year's state runner-up and a top-four finisher in the state the last seven years, scored three times in the sixth on a pair of walks, an infield single, a blooper to right and a wild pitch.

That spoiled an otherwise effective outing on the mound from Ely senior Alex Koschak. He was the hard-luck loser despite allowing only three hits and striking out nine.

Down 5-3 in the seventh, Ely nearly extended the game with a two-out rally. A Jordan error prolonged the game and allowed Trevor Bernsdorf to score and cut the lead to one. Nick Mathews singled and Riley Bernsdorf was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Jordan got out of the jam and ended the game when Wes Snyder lined out to short.

Ely, now 10-4, took a 3-0 lead in the first on a run-scoring hit by Snyder and a two-run single from Jory Johnson, both with two outs. Jordan got a two-run home from Micah Hennen in the bottom of the frame to make it 3-2.

That's how it stayed until the sixth.

Both Mathews and Trevor Bernsdorf finished with three hits for Ely, and Snyder added two.

Ely led Jordan 5-0 in the fourth inning of a game that was ended by heavy rains on Friday night.

Post 248 is back home on Tuesday, when it kicks off a busy six-game week with a 7:30 p.m. tilt against Deer River, at Veterans Memorial Field.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Southern trip starts with sweep

Ely's American Legion team weathered blistering heat and won twice in Bird Island Thursday night, opening up a four-game, three-day swing through southern Minnesota.

Riley Bernsdorf's sacrifice fly plated Alex Koschak with the winning run, and Wes Snyder escaped trouble in the seventh as Post 248 downed BOLD 5-4 in the opening game of the split twinbill at Bird Island's beautiful Lions Park.

In the nightcap, Greg Helget blanked Sacred Heart on two hits and Ely cruised to an 11-o win.

Ely, now 9-3, scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to knock off BOLD. Trevor Bernsdorf's two-out double drove in the tying run, and Koschak ignited the seventh-inning rally, and Koschak started the seventh with a double to left. He scored on Riley Bernsdorf's sacrifice fly, and Snyder stranded the tying run at third in the seventh.

The Ely lefty finished with a four-hitter. He gave up only one earned run and fanned five.

Greg Helget, Alex Koschak, Trevor Bernsdorf and Riley Bernsdorf all had two hits for Ely.

Post 248 scored five times in the third, on just two hits, to take control of the nightcap.

That was plenty of support for Helget, who earned his third win of the summer and notched his second shutout. He recorded seven strikeouts.

Jory Johnson went three-for-four for the winners, while Koschak went two-for-two with two sacrifice flies and three runs batted in. Helget helped his cause with two hits, and Tom Bonk added a two-run single.