Ely blanked at state

Powerful La Crescent ended Ely's state title hopes Friday afternoon, blanking Post 248 on four hits in a 4-0 state tournament win at Dilworth.

Brandon Verthein's two-run homer to center in the bottom of the fourth broke a scoreless deadlock, and winning pitcher Austin Walleser wiggled out of trouble in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to send his team into Saturday's semifinals.

LaCrescent (16-1) handed Ely pitching ace Nick Pecha the first loss of his Legion career. The righthander gave up three earned runs and fanned seven.

Walleser, meanwhile, kept his earned run average at a perfect 0.00 by keeping Ely off the board. He stranded two runners in scoring position in the fourth, and he got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth. Ely also put two runners aboard in the sixth but came up empty.

Walleser gave up four hits, two to Ely's Sean Fisher.

Pecha kept La Crescent off the board through three innings but got nicked in the fourth. After a one-out walk, Verthein lifted a Pecha offering to center, where it cleared the 340-foot sign.

La Crescent, which eliminated Ely in the 2008 state semifinals, got an unearned run in the fifth and tacked on one more for insurance in the sixth.

Walks to Aaron Donais and Cody Bialik got Ely going in the fifth, and after Alex Koschak flew out, Josh Ojala drew another walk. But Walleser got a groundout and a strikeout to escape. Jory Johnson doubled in the sixth, but he was stranded at third.

La Crescent advances to meet Ada in Saturday's semifinal round, while Ely moves into the consolation bracket and an 11:30 a.m. meeting with BOLD, which fell 6-2 to Ada. The consolation title game is at 3 p.m.

Destination Dilworth! Ely beats Chisholm for district title

Ely's American Legion baseball team simply would not be denied.

After a pair of walkoff wins in the district playoffs, Ely fell behind again in Sunday's district title matchup with Chisholm.

But Post 248 stormed back, taking the lead for good on Jory Johnson's two-out, two-run triple in the fifth, and riding the pitching of Nick Pecha the rest of the way to gain a 6-3 victory at Veterans Memorial Field.

The win gave Ely the Eighth District Division II crown and the program's ninth state tournament berth in 14 seasons. Ely (21-5) now heads west to Dilworth for a Friday quarterfinal matchup with LaCrescent.

It wasn't quite as dramatic as earlier playoff wins over Brookston and Deer River, but Post 248's title game had more than a few anxious moments for a boisterous home crowd.

Chisholm touched up Pecha, who won his 11th straight decision and notched 12 strikeouts, for eight hits. Tony Clement's solo homer in the top of the fifth gave the third-seeded Chisholm team a 3-2 lead with only nine outs to play.

But Ely seized momentum right back. Josh Ojala started the rally with a one-out single and Nick Mathews drew a two-out walk. It set the stage for Johnson, who lifted a Ryan Ferrell offering deep to right field. The ball hit the fence, and Johnson wound up at third. Both Ojala and Mathews scored and Ely was up 4-3.

Wes Snyder, who homered earlier in the game and on Friday delivered the three-run walkoff shot that downed Deer River, followed with a run-scoring hit for a two-run lead.

Ely added an insurance run in the sixth and Pecha struck out the side in the seventh, igniting a raucous celebration at home plate.

Snyder, Koschak and Johnson all finished with two hits for the winners. Adam Vake had a two-run double for Chisholm, which finished 14-10.

Sensational! Snyder's three-run walkoff blast topples Deer River

Wes Snyder now has his very own place in the storied history of Ely's Veterans Memorial Field.

In one of the most dramatic finishes ever seen at the local ballpark, Ely rallied past Deer River 9-8 Friday night when Snyder launched his first career home run: a two-out, three-run blast over the centerfield fence that gave Post 248 a most dramatic and improbable victory.

Ely, now 20-5, moved into Sunday's title game and rallied from four runs down to do it. The hosts trailed 7-3 after five frames and were down 8-6 going into the seventh.

Josh Ojala started the rally when he reached base on an error, and a two-out walk to Jory Johnson set the stage for Snyder. The sophomore, who also stroked a two-run double in the sixth, cracked an 0-1 pitch from Deer River reliever Travis Kane deep to center. Outfielder Cody Willis ran out of room, and the Ely bench mobbed Snyder at the plate.

Post 248 will play for a district title for the 12th time in 13 seasons and will shoot for its ninth state berth in the same timeframe Sunday (4 p.m.), when it meets either Chisholm or Deer River.

Ely shook off a shaky start and stormed back late to beat Deer River for the third time this year.

After stranding 10 runners through five innings, Ely broke through in the sixth. A two-out double by Snyder closed the gap to 7-5 and put some pressure on Deer River (11-8). After Greg Helget was hit by a pitch and Louie Gerzin walked, Aaron Donais drew a bases-loaded walk and sliced the gap to 7-6. Kane got Sean Fisher to ground out to end the rally.

Deer River added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, when Lance Latvala singled off of Nick Pecha, who came on in the seventh after Snyder and Alex Koschak. But Pecha, now 10-0, escaped further damage and Ely bounced back in the bottom half  of the frame.

After Ojala reached, it looked like Kane would preserve the lead for the visitors when he retired both Koschak and Nick Mathews. But Johnson's walk extended the game, and Snyder followed with his first-ever round-tripper.

Snyder, who finished with five runs batted in, was the hero at the plate after a shaky outing on the mound.  Deer River scored four runs in the first two frames to chase the lefty, bringing on Koschak in relief

The junior righthander settled in after giving up a run in the third and two in the fourth, but he gave way to Pecha after beaning Jack Carter to start the seventh.

Deer River finished with nine hits, including three by Cole Knudson. Jack Carter scored twice and Luke Benson drove in two runs. Starting pitcher Cody Willis gave up  three runs on four hits, through three innings, before giving way to Kane.

Deer River and Chisholm now meet in an elimination game at 8 p.m. Saturday, and the winner must beat Ely twice on Sunday to claim the district title.

In elimination round action on  Friday, Chisholm edged Brookston 5-4 behind the pitching of Tony Clement, and Cook County shocked Esko 13-3 in five innings. Chisholm then eliminated Cook County 12-3.

Pecha, Ojala winners of 2010 Hernesmaa/Chelesnik Memorial Award

Nick Pecha and Josh Ojala are now part of the Ely American Legion baseball program's most exclusive list - those who have won the prestigious Mark Hernesmaa/David Chelesnik Jr. Memorial Award.

The two college freshmen were named co-winners of the Legion program's MVP award Wednesday, prior to Ely's 4-3 win over Brookston in the district playoffs.

Pecha and Ojala, Ely's only two players in their final year of Legion eligibility, have contributed on several fronts to the program's 19-win season this summer.

Pecha has been one of northern Minnesota's most dominant pitchers, winning nine straight decisions with three shutouts, and fanning 96 batters in 55 innings of work. In two years with the program, the hard-throwing righthander has racked up a 13-0 record on the mound, and has never given up more than three runs in a start.

Ojala, meanwhile, is finishing a brilliant four-year stint with the Ely Legion program. He has been a starter all four years, and took over the centerfield job in 2008. He has been part of a pair of Ely state tournament teams, and has provided valuable leadership this year to what is the youngest team in program history.

Known for his range in centerfield and strong arm, Ojala has also provided pop with his bat, hitting .392 this season with 22 runs scored.

Pecha and Ojala were honored prior to the playoff game, and received their respective awards from David Chelesnik Sr., Ed Hernesmaa and Bonnie Hernesmaa.

The award is named after two standout Ely Legion players who both passed away during the 1980s. Mark Hernesmaa drowned in 1981, and the award was started in his honor that year. Chelesnik lost a four-year fight to cancer in 1984 and his name was later added to the award.

Previous winners include David Chelesnik Jr., Frank Ivancich, Brian Palo, Steve Sayovitz, Greg Tulla, John Mavetz, Bill Muhvich, Bill Palo, Bill Mobilia, Greg Schepers, Jim Barich, Benjy Gibney, Dave Jalonen, Chad Davis, Brian Olson, Steve Dunstan, J.J. Puzel, Bob Zbacnik, Adam Rannels, Jeff Richards, Bill Planton, Bobby Fink, Josh Mathson, Tim Scott, Nick Furnstahl, Tyler Blomberg, Ben Povhe and Tyler Cramer.

In addition to receiving an engraved plaque, the names of Pecha and Ojala will also be added to a plaque that hangs at Ely Memorial High School.

Playoff Walk-off at the Vet: Ely edges Brookston

Before the largest crowd of the season, Ely rallied late and beat Brookston 4-3 Wednesday night to advance in the Eighth District Division II playoffs.

Alex Koschak's one-out double to center plated Cody Bialik with the game-winning run and sent top-seeded Ely (19-5) into a Friday night winners' bracket showdown against number-two Deer River.

But Post 248's victory was anything but easy. Winning  pitcher Nick Pecha, who earlier in the night was named a co-winner of the Mark Hernesmaa/David Chelesnik Jr. Memorial Award, won his ninth-straight decision but had to work out of a bases- loaded, two-out jam in the top of the seventh to do it.

It set the stage for the bottom of the seventh, when Aaron Donais worked a leadoff walk against losing pitcher Bryce Karppinen, who allowed only three hits. Sean Fisher then popped out on a bunt attempt, but Josh Ojala, who joined Pecha as this year's Hernesmaa/Chelesnik Award co-recipients, was hit by a pitch with one out. Koschak then lifted a Karppinen offering deep to center, and Bialik, a pinch-runner, scored easily from second.

Ely took a 2-0 lead early, as Nick  Mathews singled an scored on a Greg Helget squeeze bunt in the second. Two walks and a Mathews single gave the hosts a two-run lead.

But the advantage was short-lived. Brookston scored on on two hits in the fourth, while two singles, an error and a passed ball allowed the visitors to go up 3-2 in the top of the fifth.

Ely tied it in the bottom of the fifth, when Fisher scored from third on an errant pick off throw.

Pecha, now 9-0, tossed a complete-game six-hitter with nine strikeouts. Karppinen was equally brilliant in defeat, fanning 10 Ely batters, giving up just three hits and allowing only two earned runs.

In other action on Wednesday, Deer River scored twice in the seventh to beat Esko 6-5, and Chisholm eliminated Marble 11-5.

Playoff action resumes Friday in Ely, with three elimination-round contests at noon, 2:30 and 5 p.m. Chisholm takes on Brookston, Esko meets Cook County, and the winners meet in the third game. Ely and Deer River square off at 7:30, with the winner gaining a berth in Sunday's title tilt.

Ely has top seed; pairings set for Division II Legion playoffs

The road to Dilworth goes through Ely, at least for the Division II baseball teams in Minnesota's Eighth District.

Ely has the number-one seed and home field advantage for the district playoffs, which start Tuesday night with three opening round games. The bulk of the tournament will be played at Ely's Veterans Memorial Field, including Sunday's title tilt, set for 4 p.m. with a second game to follow if necessary.

After a surprising run through the regular season, Ely has an 18-5 overall record and secured the number-one seed by winning 11 district games, two games more than anyone in the district. The hosts have a first-round bye and will open tournament play at 8 p.m. Wednesday, against either Brookston or Cook County.

Whoever survives the weeklong, seven-team, double-elimination grind will win a trip to the Division II State Tournament, set for July 30-Aug. 1 at Dilworth, located in western Minnesota just outside of Moorhead.  Ely has qualified for the state tournament in eight of the last 13 seasons.

Eighth District Division II Tournament Schedule

Tuesday July 20

Game 1 5 pm at Ely #4 seed Brookston vs. #5 seed Cook County

Game 2 7 pm at Virginia #3 seed Chisholm vs. #6 seed Esko

Game 3 7:30 pm at Ely #2 seed Deer River vs. #7 seed Marble

Wednesday July 21

Game 4 5:30 pm at Ely Winner 2 vs. Winner 3

Game 5 6 pm TBD Loser 2 vs. Loser 3**

Game 6 8 pm at Ely Winner 1 vs. #1 seed Ely

Friday July 23

Game 7 noon at Ely Winner 5 vs. Loser 6**

Game 8 2:30 pm at Ely Loser 1 vs. Loser 4**

Game 9 5 pm at Ely Winner 7 vs. Winner 8**

Game 10 7:30 pm at Ely Winner 4 vs. Winner 6

Saturday July 24

Game 11 8 pm at Ely Winner 9 vs. Loser 10**

Sunday July 25

Game 12  4 pm at Ely Winner 10 vs. Winner 11

Game 13  6:30 pm  at Ely Repeat Game 12 if necessary

Unbeaten Ely VFW wins twice, plays for Border title

The perfect season continues for Ely's VFW baseball team.

Post 2717 extended its season-long winning streak to 19 games on Saturday, taking a pair of victories in the Border Area VFW playoffs at Veterans Memorial Field.

Winning pitcher Riley Bernsdorf  scored four runs as Ely drilled Cook County 15-0 in the opener, while Wes Snyder held Virginia to three hits in a 4-1 winners bracket decision.

Ely (19-0) meets either Virginia or Cook County at 3:30 p.m. today for the title. A loss by Ely would force a deciding title game on  Monday night.

Snyder gave up a first-inning run against Virginia, but allowed only one hit the rest of the way. The lefty is now 6-0 for the summer, with four wins in Legion and two more for the VFW. He has not allowed more than one earned run in any start.

A two-run single by Sean  Jordan put Ely on top, while Greg Helget had two hits for the winners. Louie Gerzin tripled and scored on a passed ball in the sixth to provide insurance.

The opener was no contest as Ely scored at least three runs in every inning. Trevor Bernsdorf  tripled and knocked in four runs, while Mathews had three hits. Helget added two and drove in two runs.

In other Border Area games, Virginia beat Eveleth 12-2 in the opening round. Cook County then eliminated Eveleth 16-5.

Ely secures top seed

A gutty pitching performance by Alex Koschak and some timely hitting gave Ely's American Legion baseball team a victory Friday night, and the top seed in the upcoming district playoffs.

Koschak tossed a three-hitter and overcame five error by his teammates, and Ely pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth to edge Chisholm 5-3 at Veterans Memorial Field.

Consecutive two-out hits by Sean Fisher and Josh Ojala gave Ely the lead, and Koschak, who did not give up an earned run, retired Chisholm (10-6) in the seventh.

Koschak picked up his third win of the year while striking out six, and Ely improved to 18-5 overall.

Losing pitcher Tony Clement stymied Ely for most of the night, althoguh the hosts scored once in the first and got two unearned runs in the third. Fisher walked and scored in the opening frame, and the leadoff man reached on an error to start the third. He scored on the back end of a double steal, and Koschak's two-out double brought in Ojala to make it 3-2.

Two Ely errors allowed Chisholm to tie the game in the top of the sixth, but the winners came back in the bottom of the frame. Jory Johnson walked to start the rally, and after a bunt and a strikeout, Fisher came through with a bloop single to right. Fisher later stole second and scored on Ojala's second hit of the night.

Koschak worked through the Ely fielding miscues and stranded eight Chisholm runners in the game.

Pecha shuts out Brookston, but Ely settles for split

Ely inched closer to a top-seed for the district playoffs on Thursday night, but missed out on a chance to clinch.

Nick Pecha recorded his third shutout of the season and tossed a four-hitter - with 12 strikeouts - as Post 248 took the first game of a home doubleheader with Brookston.

Despite 13 hits, including home runs by Alex Koschak and Jory Johnson, Ely missed too many chances and fell 11-6 in the nightcap.

Now 17-5 overall and 10-3 in district play, Ely can earn the number-one seed for the district tournament with a win on Friday over Chisholm. The contest is set for 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Field.

The opening game of the doubleheader with Brookston was a pitching duel between Pecha and Bryce Karppinen. Pecha didn't walk a batter and reached double-digits in strikeouts in his seventh straight start, but Karppinen largely kept Ely at bay.

Ely scored a pair of unearned runs in the third, with Alex Koschak's two-run single plating Sean Fisher and Josh Ojala. Johnson doubled in a run as Ely scored three times in the fifth.

Brookston (7-4 overall, 7-3 district) took advantage of five Ely errors in the nightcap, and scored four times in teh second on five hits to jump out to a 5-2 lead.

Ely clawed back to within 7-6 in the fourth with a two-run homer by Alex Koschak and a solo shot by Johnson.

It was 9-6 in the sixth when Ely loaded the bases with one out. But Brookston escaped when Johnson lined into a double play.

Nick Mathews worked three innings and was tagged with the loss. Johnson tossed the last four frames, yielding five hits. Koschak,  Ojala, Johnson and Trevor Bernsdorf all had two hits for Ely.

Ely explodes late, downs Deer River

Ely's bats were silent Wednesday for five innings, but the offense revved up in the sixth and the seventh, scoring seven times in an 8-4 district win at Deer River.

Alex Koschak's seventh-inning hit broke a four-all tie and sent Post 248 on its way to its second win over Deer River in four days. The four-run outburst in the seventh helped Ely rebound from a disastrous bottom of the sixth.

Four straight hits, including a two-run double by Wes Snyder gave Ely a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth. But the first two Deer River batters reached in the bottom half, bringing ace Nick Pecha on in relief. A pair of Ely errors prolonged the inning, and Travis Kane tied the contest with a two-run single.

But Ely came right back. Greg Helget reached base on an error and Josh Ojala singled, setting the stage for Koschak's game-winning hit. Jory Johnson then added the key blow, a two-run double that made it 7-4.

Johnson finished with three hits and four runs batted in for the winners, while Snyder had two hits and three RBI.

Snyder went five strong innings, giving up no earned runs and only five hits. Pecha gained his seventh win of the year in relief, fanning three.

Rally past Virginia gives Ely third-place at Sir G's Classic

Ely blew a five-run lead, then shook it off and put together a comeback of its own to secure third place in the 2010 Sir G's Midsummer Classic.

Riley Bernsdorf's two-out single tied the game, while Trevor Bernsdorf  scored the go-ahead run on a balk as Ely scored twice in the sixth and edged Virginia 9-8 before a boisterous crowd at Veterans Memorial Field.

Jory Johnson, the fourth Ely pitcher to work in the game, stranded two runners in the seventh and got the win. He also got a huge boost from Riley Bernsdorf, when the Ely catcher picked a Virginia runner off of first.

It was a big day all around for the Bernsdorfs. Riley, who just completed seventh grade, went three-for-four with four runs batted in, while ninth-grader Trevor had two hits and scored twice.

College freshman Josh Ojala, back in the lineup after missing a week-and-a-half with an injury, closed out a solid tournament with a four-for-four performance at the plate. His single started the sixth-inning rally.

It looked like Ely would cruise after Post 248 erased a 2-0 Virginia lead with four runs in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth.  Riley Bernsdorf's two-run single closed out the third-inning rally while Ojala knocked in a run the following inning to make it 5-2. Riley Bernsdorf and Greg Helget drove in runs in the fifth.

But Virginia wasn't done. The visitors sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth, as two-run singles by Pat Anderson and Jeremy Paschke closed the gap. A squeeze bunt by Jim Paskett tied the score and Paschke scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.

That set the stage for Ely's late-inning heroics. Johnson followed starter Nick Mathews, who worked three innings, as well as relievers Trevor Bernsdorf and Helget. Both Mathews and Trevor Bernsdorf had two hits.

Duluth Lakeview won the Sir G's title in its first trip to the tournament, outscoring Cloquet 19-9 in the championship game. In other action on Sunday, Frazee scored five times in the seventh to beat Detroit Lakes 9-8, and Deer River beat Cook County 9-6.

Saturday split: Pecha shuts down Deer River, Koschak and Mathews hit back-to-back bombs

Yet another dominant pitching performance from Nick Pecha gave Ely a district victory over Deer River on Saturday night, and helped Post 248 rebound after a rough outing earlier that day.

Division I powerhouse Cloquet hammered Ely 14-1 in five innings in the afternoon, but Pecha tossed a three-hitter at night as his team downed district favorite Deer River 8-2.

Pecha, who won his sixth game of the summer, finished with 12 strikeouts and took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, when Deer River got both of its runs.

Ely got a jolt in the bottom of the first from Alex Koschak and Nick Mathews, who homered in consecutive at bats. Koschak's two-run blast off losing pitcher Luke Benson went to the left-center gap and got Ely on the board. Mathews deposited the next pitch over the left field fence, bringing his teammates out of the dugout and the fans out of their seats.

A double by Koschak stoked Ely's two-run rally in the fourth, and Mathews had a run-scoring hit in the fifth. Sean Fisher doubled in the fifth, while teammate Wes Snyder finished with two hits.

Pecha, meanwhile, struck out the side in the seventh to finish in double digits for the game. The hard-throwing righthander is now 6-0, with a 1.26 earned run average, and 71 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched.

Earlier Saturday, Cloquet had its hitting shoes on, getting five hits in both the first and third frames and finishing with 14 in the five-inning contest. Shortstop Peter LaCourse went four-ofr-five for the winners with three doubles and three runs batted in. Joey Singpiel had two hits and two runs batted in, Connor Stowell had two hits and winning pitcher Adam Hanson tossed two perfect innings.

Koschak was the losing pitcher and Aaron Donais came on in relief. Donais had two hits at the plate.

In other Saturday action, Duluth Lakeview earned a spot in Saturday's title game by beating Cook County 12-1 and Virginia 12-2. Detroit Lakes blew a four-run lead in the seventh and fell to Cook County 8-7, but came back later in the day to beat Virginia 12-3. Frazee beat Deer River 17-2 in five innings, then lost 12-3 to Cloquet.

Snyder blanks Frazee

Lefty Wes Snyder continued to dazzle on the mound as Ely won its opening game in the Sir G's Midsummer Classic.

Snyder won his fourth game of the season and picked up his second shutout as Ely blanked Frazee 6-0 at Veterans Memorial Field.

Snyder, who has given up just two runs in 24 innings of work this summer, escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second inning and only allowed one hit in the final frames. He finished with a three-hitter and seven strikeouts.

Ely got the only run Snyder would need in the first, when Nick Mathews singled in Josh Ojala. Mathews added another run-scoring hit in the third and the hosts put the game away with a three-run fifth. Alex Koschak's run-scoring double was the highlight of the inning.

Making the most of its six hits, Ely got two hits and two runs batted in from Koschak. Mathews also had two hits and two RBI.

In other opening round games on Friday, Duluth Lakeview downed Detroit Lakes 12-1, Cloquet topped Deer River 4-1 and Virginia outscored Cook County 20-13, in an ugly game that included 17 errors.

Sir G's Classic comes to town

It's time for Ely's second major American Legion tournament of the summer: the tenth annual Sir G's Midsummer Classic.

The 2010 edition is the largest yet, with eight teams competing in two divisions. Host Ely (12-3) is joined by Cloquet, Deer River and Frazee in the Red Division, while the Blue Division features Duluth Lakeview, Detroit Lakes, Virginia and Cook County. The tournament features round-robin play in each division Friday and Saturday, with cross-over games on Sunday.

This year's event may be one of the most competitive regular season tournaments in recent years at Veterans Memorial Field. The Blue Division is headlined by Lakeview (Duluth East), which returns three college baseball players and has the top players from a Duluth East squad that was one of the best in Section 7AAA during the high school season. Detroit Lakes has a traditionally strong program while Virginia  has a deep pool of talent. Cook County is the lone Division II team in the division.

In Red Division action, Cloquet looms as the favorite after reaching the state tournament in Class AA high school baseball this spring. Deer River comes to Ely fresh off its fourth-place finish in the high school Class A tournament, while Frazee is one of the top teams in Ninth District Division II baseball.

The schedule includes four games Friday, all at Ely, with eight games Saturday split between Ely and Soudan. Sunday's action includes three games at Ely and one in Soudan.

The complete schedule includes:

Friday

12:30 - Virginia vs. Cook County

3:00 - Cloquet vs. Deer River

5:30 - Detroit Lakes vs. Duluth Lakeview

8:00 - Ely vs. Frazee

Saturday - at Ely

9:30 - Cook County vs. Detroit Lakes

noon - Virginia vs Duluth Lakeview

2:30 - Ely vs. Cloquet

5:00 - Cloquet vs. Frazee

7:30 - Ely vs. Deer River

Saturday - at Soudan

1:00 - Frazee vs. Deer River

3:30 - Duluth Lakeview vs. Cook County

6:00 - Detroit Lakes vs. Virginia

Sunday - at Soudan

11:30 - Cook County vs. Deer River

Sunday - at Ely

10:00 - Crossover game to be determined

12:30 - Crossover game to be determined

3:00 - Ely vs. Virginia

Two out of three (ain't bad)

It was an up-and-down midweek for Post 248 in Eighth District play.

Ely got solid pitching in an 8-2, 7-1 sweep over Cook County Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Field, but the squad had little left in the tank at Marble on Wednesday, falling  7-3 and handing the hosts only their second win of the summer.

Ely (12-3) picked up the home victories behind the pitching of Nick Pecha and Alex Koschak. Pecha won his fifth game in as many decisions and fired a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts, overcoming some early control problems.

The game was decided early as Ely scored four times in the bottom of the first. The first five hitters reached against losing pitcher Dene Taylor and the hosts plated four in the first and three more runs in the second.

Sean Fisher went two-for-two with two walks and two runs scored for the winners. Eighth-grader Louie Gerzin knocked in two runs, while Alex Koschak doubled in a run and scored twice.  Both of the runs Pecha allowed were unearned.

It was Koschak's turn in game two. After struggling with control in his earlier starts, the lanky junior did not walk a batter and finished with a six-hitter and seven strikeouts. Koschak ran his record to 2-1 for the summer.

Ely made the most of its eight hits, with Koschak lining two and Fisher getting a triple, a single and scoring twice. Jory Johnson doubled in a run.

Johnson had his first career Legion homer the next evening, but it was one of Ely's only highlights in a 7-3 loss. The round-tripper, which cleared the right field fence, came in the top of the seventh and came with Ely trailing 7-0.

Ely scored three times in the seventh and loaded the bases, but winning pitcher Jayden Gangl escaped with the win. The ninth-grader tossed a five-hitter, struck out six and was backed by strong defense.

Marble got 10 hits against Ely pitchers Johnson and Nick Mathews. Johnson worked four-plus innings and was tagged with his second loss of the year.

A look at the numbers: pitching has been key

There's no secret why Ely's American Legion baseball team is off to a 10-2 start this year: strong pitching.

Ely has been very effective on the hill, with college freshman Nick Pecha leading the way and sophomore lefty Wes Snyder not far behind. They've combined for seven of the team's 10 wins.

Pecha has been nothing short of dominant this summer, fanning 13 in a season-opening win at Esko and following up with a one-hitter against Chisholm, a four-hitter against Sartell and a four-inning no-hitter against Aurora. Throw in a save against Proctor for good measure and Pecha begins the second half of the year with a 4-0 mark on the mound and a miniscule 1.40 earned run average. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is even more impressive. In 25 innings of work, Pecha has fanned 48 and walked only seven.

Snyder has been the surprise of the season, stepping into the Legion rotation and picking up three wins. He has a perfect 3-0 slate and a 0.41 earned run average, and 23 walks in seven inings.

As a team, Ely has allowed only 15 earned runs in 60 innings for a team ERA of 1.75.

Top hitters so far include Alex Koschak (.484, 12 RBI), Sean Fisher (.421) and Nick Mathews (.375, 15 RBI). In limited duty, Trevor Bernsdorf has recorded a .589 average and senior outfielder Aaron Donais is five-for-10 (.500).

Ely sweeps Aurora, falls to Chisholm

Ely's American Legion baseball team stumbled on Tuesday night, but came back with a vengeance on Wednesday.

A rare defensive breakdown helped lead to a 12-2 loss at Chisholm, but Post 248 was clicking on all cyliners Wednesday, sweeping overmatched Aurora 13-0 and 19-0 at Veterans Memorial Field.

Ely also picked up a forfeit win over Esko on Thursday to finish the first half of its season with a 10-2 record.

But on Tuesday, Ely committed more errors (eight) in one game than it has in the rest of the season combined. That gave Chisholm (5-3) many extra opportunities, and the hosts made the most of them, scoring five times in the bottom of the first to take control of the district contest.

Ely, meanwhile,  struggled against winning pitcher Erik Paine, who tossed a five-hitter. Jory Johnson gave up eight hits while being tagged with the loss, while Louie Gerzin had a run-scoring single.

Wes Snyder blanked Aurora on one hit in the opening game on Wednesday, and Nick Pecha and Nick Mathews followed with a combined no-hitter in the nightcap. Snyder fanned 10, with Pecha striking out 10 in four innings of work.

Ely battered Aurora pitching, with Alex Koschak going five-for-five for the twinbill. In the opener, Ely put the game away with a nine-run fourth inning. Johnson singled in two runs for the winners, while Sean Fisher scored twice and had two hits. Mathews also contributed two hits.

Four first-inning runs erased any doubt about the outcome of the second contest. Gerzin, Koschak, Tom Bonk, Sean Jordan and Will Gustafson all had two hits. Gerzin knocked in four runs and Johnson drove in three.

After a break for the Fourth of July weekend, Ely returns to action Tuesday (4 p.m.) with a home doubleheader against Cook County.

Champions: Ely blasts Hibbing to win DQ crown

For the first time since 2004, the host team has come out on top at the DQ Grill and Chill Classic.

Ely clinched the tournament crown Sunday, erupting for eight runs in the bottom of the second inning and going on to a 12-2, five-inning rout of Hibbing at Veterans Memorial Field.

The win capped a perfect weekend for Post 248, which won all four of its games in the seven-team tournament, earned the first-place trophy and extended its unbeaten string to six games.

Ely got another strong pitching performance, this time from junior Alex Koschak, who escaped some early trouble and finished with a three-hitter and five strikeouts.

And Koschak got plenty of offensive support, and a sizeable cushion thanks to the eight-run second inning barrage that included eight Ely hits.

Two were by Nick Mathews, who doubled to start the rally and helped cap it off with a two-run double to center. Mathews finished the day three-for-three, with three runs scored and three runs batted in.  Aaron Donais singled in a run in the second and finished with two runs batted in for the winners, while leadoff man Sean Fisher scored twice and had two hits. Riley Bernsdorf added two hits.

Koschak, meanwhile, picked up his first win of the year. He stranded five Hibbing runners in the first two frames, then settled in and retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced.

Both Ely and Minnetonka went 4-0  in the tournament, but Ely claimed the title based on the first tiebreaker - runs allowed. Ely gave up only nine runs in four games.

In other action Sunday, Minnetonka blew out Proctor 16-4 in five innings and Sartell outslugged Esko 13-7.

Final tournament standings were: Ely 4-0; Minnetonka 4-0; Sartell 2-2; Esko 1-2; Hibbing 1-3; Proctor 1-3; Marble 0-3.

Saturday sweep: Legion goes two-for-two at DQ Classic

Strong pitching efforts by Nick Pecha and Wes Snyder gave Ely two more wins and a perfect 3-0 start in the DQ Grill and Chill Classic.

Pecha tossed a four-hitter with eight strikeouts as Ely beat Sartell 6-1 on Saturday afternoon. Later that night, Snyder gave up six hits in a 5-1 victory over Marble.

Ely downed Sartell for the first time since 2004, getting yet another dominant performance from Pecha and putting together a four-run rally in the third. Pecha, who improved to 3-0 and lowered his earned run average to 1.67, gave up a run in the third but was in control the rest of the way. The college freshman had six of his eight punchouts in the final three frames, striking out the side in the fifth.

A run-scoring single by Josh Ojala tied the game in the third, and Ely pulled ahead on Nick Mathews' two-run single down the left field line. Post 248 made the most of its six hits, including two apiece by Alex Koschak and Trevor Bernsdorf.

Koschak's two-run single in the fourth broke open the nightcap. He finished with three runs batted in. Leadoff man Sean Fisher had two hits for Ely, and Snyder took care of the rest.

The lefthander won his second straight decision, giving up an unearned run in the second and working his way out of trouble in the fifth with a pickoff  move. Ely's young infield, which included a sophomore and three eighth-graders had just one error and turned a double play.

Ely can earn at least a share of the tournament title with a victory over Hibbing on Sunday. That contest is set for 3:30 p.m.

Minnetonka, which beat Sartell 8-5 in eight innings and Esko 16-4 in five innings on Saturday, is also 3-0 in the tournament. Minnetonka takes on Proctor at 1 p.m. Sunday while Esko and Sartell square off in the first game at 10:30 a.m.

In other action Saturday, Hibbing rallied for seven runs in the seventh and beat Proctor 8-7, but later fell 17-1 to Esko in five innings. Proctor downed Marble 9-5.

Ely edges Proctor to start DQ Classic

Ely's American Legion baseball team used a little "small ball" to rally past Proctor Friday night in the opening round of the DQ Grill and Chill Classic.

Back-to-back squeeze bunts by eighth-graders Sean Jordan and Will Gustafson sparked a four-run fifth inning, and Post 248 held on to beat Proctor 6-5 at Veterans Memorial Field.

Josh Ojala got two hits, including a run-scoring single in the fifth, and Jory Johnson added a run-scoring double

Johnson also picked up his first career Legion win. The sophomore lefty scattered seven hits through five innings, before giving way to ace Nick Pecha in the sixth. Pecha fanned five in two innings, but gave up two runs - one unearned - in the seventh.

In other DQ Classic games on Friday, Minnetonka beat Marble 17-3 in five innings, and Sartell downed Hibbing 7-1.

23rd DQ Classic set to begin

It's time for one of northern Minnesota's premiere Legion baseball tournaments - Ely's DQ Grill and Chill Classic.

The 23rd annual event opens Friday at Veterans Memorial Field, with host Ely taking on Proctor under the lights at 8 p.m., in the fourth and final contest of the day.

In all, seven teams will play 14 games over the three-day tournament. Thunder Bay withdrew from the event late last week, scrapping plans for an eight-team tournament and forcing some changes to the schedule.

Ely (3-1) meets Proctor, Sartell, Marble and Hibbing during the event. Post 248 returns to the diamond after several days off, but will be missing several players this weekend for various reasons.  

Lefty Jory Johnson will start on the mound against Proctor, while ace Nick Pecha gets the call in Saturday's 2:30 p.m. tilt with Sartell. Alex Koschak and Wes Snyder will also start this weekend.

The DQ Grill and Chill Classic has evolved into one of the top Legion tournaments in the region, attracting a largely Division I field. Defending champion Sartell is part of the tournament for the 16th time in the last 17 years.

Minnetonka returns for a third straight year, while Division II foes Esko and Marble have both joined the tournament this season. Hibbing, which has taken part in the July Sir G's Midsummer Classic for several years, moved into the DQ event for 2010. Hibbing is coached by Ely Legion alumni Jay Wetzel.

Here is the tournament lineup:

Friday

12:30 - Esko vs. Marble

3:00 - Marble vs. Minnetonka

5:30 - Sartell vs Hibbing

8:00 - Ely vs. Proctor

Saturday

9:30 - Proctor vs. Hibbing

noon - Sartell vs. Minnetonka

2:30 - Ely vs. Sartell

5:00 -Minnetonka vs. Esko

7:30 - Ely vs. Marble

Saturday (at Soudan)

1:00 - Hibbing vs. Esko

3:30 - Marble vs. Proctor

Sunday

10:30 - Esko vs. Sartell

1:00 - Proctor vs. Minnetonka

3:30 - Ely vs. Hibbing

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.

Land of the Loon: Ely wins consolation title

Two wins in three days gave Ely's American Legion baseball team the consolation championship at the Land of the Loon Tournament in Virginia.

Post 248 rode the pitching of Nick Pecha and Wes Snyder to back-to-back wins in the consolation round, after a 7-3 opening game loss to Hibbing on Friday. Pecha had his second consecutive dominating start, blanking Chisholm on one-hit with 12 strikeouts in a 12-0 win on Saturday.

Snyder gave up a first-inning run, then settled in and got plenty of offensive support in Sunday's 11-1, five-inning decision over Esko.  Ely erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the first, while Snyder finished with a three-hitter, eight strikeouts and his first career Legion win.

Trevor Bernsdorf went three-for-three, Sean Fisher had two hits including a two-run triple, and Riley Bernsdorf had a two-run single against Esko.

Nick Mathews had four runs batted in, three on a monster home run to left, in Saturday's win over Chisholm. Alex Koschak had a two-run double and Trevor Bernsdorf had two hits in that contest, while Pecha tossed the shutout. The college freshsman is now 2-0 on the mound with 25 strikeouts, in just 12 innings of work.

Ely struggled against Hibbing in the first round. Hibbing took advantage of 10 walks issued by Ely pitchers en route to the win.

Jory Johnson had a two-run single for  Post 248, which got all of its runs in the sixth inning.

Ely 8, Esko 3

In a rematch of last year's district finals, Ely gained some revenge by defeating Esko 8-3 on Monday night.

Nick Pecha dominated on the mound, tossing a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts, and Post 248 erupted for five runs in the top of the seventh to break a 3-all deadlock.

Brothers Drew and Will Gustafson helped ignite the rally. Drew started things with a single, and with two on and nobody out, eighth-grader Will's sacrifice bunt was misplayed, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Run-scoring hits by Josh Ojala, Nick Mathews and Greg Helget gave Pecha a healthy cushion.

Esko got both of its hits and all of its runs in the fifth, tying the game with the aid of two walks. Earlier, Wes Snyder tripled and scored, while Pecha, Alex Koschak and Jory Johnson drove in runs to put Ely on top 3-0.

Ely had seven hits, but nobody had more than one. Both Drew Gustafson and Mathews scored twice.

It was the season-opener for both teams. Ely is back in action at noon Friday, against Hibbing, in the Land of the Loon Tournament at Virginia.

Sunday game postponed, VFW tourney delayed

Sunday’s Legion season-opener against Aurora has been postponed, because of scheduling conflicts with the Aurora players.  Ely instead will open the season Monday at Esko, with Nick Pecha getting the start on the mound. No makeup date has been finalized for the Aurora game.

Meanwhile, the first day of the G Men VFW Classic has been rained out.

The tournament will get underway Saturday, weather permitting, with five games at Veterans Memorial Field.  Ely takes on International Falls at noon and Duluth Central at 7:30 p.m. Eveleth and Duluth East "B" are the other teams in the tourney, which runs through Sunday.

Practice rained out

Tuesday’s Ely Legion practice has been cancelled because of rain.

The first practice will instead be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, at Veterans Memorial Field.

Eighth District has Eight

Seven other teams will do battle with Post 248 this year, as Ely tries for its ninth state tournament berth since 1997.

The Eighth District Division II field includes one new team this summer - Brookston - but overall the division has two fewer teams than in 2009.

Gone are Carlton and Nashwauk-Keewatin, while Moose Lake has moved up to Division I competition. Ely will look to knock off defending district champion Esko, which edged out Post 248 for the title last summer. 

Deer River, one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the Section 7A high school tournament,  has nearly all of its roster back from last summer and may top the list of district contenders. Marble, which has picked up several players from Nashwauk-Keewatin, may also be strong.

The rest of the district includes Ely, Chisholm, Cook County and Aurora. Brookston, which includes players from AlBrook high school as well as neighboring Cotton, has returned to the district after a several-year absence.

Regular season play runs through mid-July and Ely will host the district playoffs, starting July 20. The district champion advances to the state tournament at Dilworth, located near Moorhead in western Minnesota.

Practice starts Tuesday

The first practice of the 2010 Ely Legion season takes place at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Veterans Memorial Field.

The team will practice at least twice this week before Sunday's season opener, at home, against Aurora.

For players who have not yet registered, registration forms will be available at practice.

2010 Legion schedule announced

Ely's American Legion baseball season gets underway on Sunday, June 13, with a home game against Aurora. Game time is 6 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Field. The game kicks off an approximately 25-game regular season schedule for Post 248, which finished 20-11 last year and reached the Eighth District Division II finals for the 12th time in 13 seasons.

Here is the schedule for 2010, subject to change and the likely addition of two games with Brookston, a new team in the district this year.

Sunday June 13: Aurora, 6 p.m.

Monday June 14: at Esko, 6 p.m.

Friday June 18: Hibbing (Virginia Land of Loon), noon

Saturday June 19: at Virginia Land of Loon, TBA

Sunday June 20: at Virginia Land of Loon, TBA

Tuesday June 22: Deer River, 7:30 p.m.

Friday June 25: DQ Classic, 8 p.m.

Saturday June 26: DQ Classic, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday June 26:  DQ Classic, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday June 27: DQ Classic, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday June 29: at Chisholm, 6 p.m.

Wednesday June 30: at Aurora, 6 p.m.

Thursday July 1: Esko, 7 p.m.

Tuesday July 6: Cook County (2), 4 p.m.

Wednesday July 7: at Marble, 6 p.m.

Friday July 9: Sir G's Classic, 8 p.m.

Saturday July 10: Sir G's Classic, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday July 10: Sir G's Classic, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday July 11: Sir G's Classic, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday July 14:  at Deer River, 6 p.m.

Thursday July 15: Moose Lake (2), 5 p.m.

Friday July 16:  Chisholm, 7 p.m.

Tuesday July 20: District 8 Playoffs, at Ely

Friday July 23: District 8 Playoffs, at Ely

Saturday July 24: District 8 Playoffs, at Ely

Sunday July 25: District 8 Playoffs, at Ely

Parent Meeting on Monday

The summer baseball season in Ely starts this Monday, June 7, with a registration and parent meeting at Veterans Memorial Field.

Registration forms can be turned in at this time, and game schedules will be available.

Also, parents may sign up for volunteer shifts in the concession stand and ticket booth for the upcoming summer season.

Reminder that registration fee is $100, plus a $150 volunteer deposit. The deposit is cashed only if a parent does not complete the required number of volunteer shifts.