A six-run explosion in the bottom of the second and a gritty pitching performance by Greg Helget were the difference Saturday afternoon as Ely beat Wahpeton (N.D.) and earned a spot in the Division II Central Plains Regional finals.
After walking eight batters in an abbeviated start on Friday, Helget bounced back with a solid outing against the tournament hosts and North Dakota runners-up. The senior righthander took a 6-0 lead into the sixth before tiring, and Wahpeton (44-5) opened the frame with three hits and a walk.
Helget gave way to Wes Snyder, who retired six straight batters to close out the win, Ely's program-record 32nd of the year. Now 8-2 this year, Helget went five-plus innings and gave up five hits with three strikeouts.
Ely got all the offense it would need in the second, when it sent 11 batters to the plate and quieted the home crowd. Jory Johnson's two-run single got Post 248 on the board, and Ely made it 3-0 on Sean Fisher's two-out infield single. An error prolonged the inning and put another run on the board, and Snyder closed out the rally with his second hit of the frame - a two-run single to center.
Ely finished with seven hits, including two apiece by Snyder and Johnson, against two Wahpeton pitchers.
While Ely is assured of a spot in the tournament finals and can finish no worse than second in the regional, it must play another game at 6 p.m. Saturday against Minnesota champion Plato.
A victory would knock Plato from the tournament and match Ely up against either Wahpeton or Wisconsin Dells in Sunday's finals, with either opponent needing to beat Post 248 twice to win the championship.
If Ely loses against Plato, it would nonetheless get a bye into Sunday's final, with Plato taking on either Wahpeton or Wisconsin Dells, and the winner advancing to play Ely at 3:30 p.m.
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