Ely holds off Esko for fourth straight win

A big first inning and a pair of clutch hits in the sixth helped Ely's American Legion baseball team to its fourth straight win.

Post 248 scored six times in the first and led 9-2 after four innings, but needed two key insurance runs in the sixth to hold off Esko 11-10 at Veterans Memorial Field.

Esko (5-2) closed a seven-run gap to one by scoring five times in the fifth inning and adding another in the sixth, but run-scoring hits by Andy Krunkkala and Jeff Willis proved to be pivotal in the bottom of the frame.

In the seventh, Esko scored two unearned runs against reliever Kyle Durbin and had the tying and go-ahead runs aboard in scoring position, but the righthander coaxed a groundout to end the game.

Starter Pat Huisman, who earned his fifth win of the summer,  cruised through four innings but ran into control problems in the fifth, bringing Durbin on in relief.

Ely gave Huisman a cushion by jolting out to a 6-0 lead in the first, sending 10 men to the plate and capitalizing on four walks and two errors.

Willis and Krunkkala had two hits apiece for the winners, while senior second baseman reached base four times and scored three runs, drawing three walks and adding a single.

Esko pitchers issued nine walks and the visitors made five errors in the sloppy Eighth District Division II contest, while Ely committed three errors and its pitchers walked eight batters.

After two nights off, Post 248 returns to action Friday night with an 8 p.m. game against Chatfield, closing out first-round, opening-day action in the Sir G's Midsummer Classic.