Ely rallies past Brookston; Kellogg delivers key hit

A two-out rally gave Ely's American Legion Baseball team a come-from-behind victory on Monday night.

Elliot Omerza's two-out hit tied the game, and Cole Kellogg followed later in the frame with a bases-clearing, three-run double as Post 248 beat visiting Brookston 5-2 in an Eighth District contest at Veterans Memorial Field.

Senior pitcher Will Gustafson pitched with a sprained ankle and went the distance to get his first win of the summer, and Ely snapped a brief two-game losing streak and improved to 7-5.

Gustafson scattered seven hits, struck out six and neither of the runs he gave up were earned.

And thanks to a big throw from rightfielder Ben Gantt, Gustafson escaped big trouble in the top of the fifth, when Brookston (3-7) scratched out a run to take a 2-1 lead.  It could have been worse, but Gantt's throw home cut down a runner trying to score from third on a fly out to right.

Brookston left the bases loaded in the fifth, and Ely responded in the bottom half of the frame with Gantt working a walk against losing pitcher Ross Schminski to start the rally.  Omerza's two-out hit tied the game, and Spencer Gaulke drew a walk to load them up for Kellogg, who laced a double to left to clear the bases.

Both Omerza and Louie Gerzin finished with two hits for Ely, which is back in action Tuesday night when it hosts Moose Lake in a 5 p.m. district twinbill.