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.