CARLTON- The Carlton-Wrenshall Raptors baseball team may have picked up a home win against the North Woods Grizzlies on Tuesday, but the Grizzlies will see dividends from the boost in confidence that comes from giving their opponents all that they could handle in the 3-1 contest.
After Carlton manufactured a run in the first inning for a 1-0 lead, the Grizzlies put the hammer down defensively behind starting pitcher Levi Chaulklin, holding the Raptors scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Grizzlies struggled at the plate with three-up, three-down turns in the first, third and fourth innings. Louie Panichi finally got North Woods on the board in the sixth, coming around to score after smacking a single to right center field.
Carlton pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, and the Grizzlies went down in order in the seventh for the 3-1 loss.
But North Woods Head Coach RJ Kruse had nothing but praise for his team’s grit and effort.
“Levi pitched a great game, throwing only 68 pitches in six innings,” Kruse said. “He did an excellent job getting ahead in the count on batters all night. Our outfielders, Dawson Stavenger, Jett Lambert and Alex Burckhardt were fantastic, making all the plays that came to them. Cedar Holman made some great plays at short and the infield as a whole played well. We put a lot of balls in play, but their defense was on point, too. Definitely a game to hold our heads high on, it was a fun game to be a part of. Both teams played great.”
The Grizzlies might want to pack their sleeping bags on the bus, as they’re looking at an extended road run that won’t have them playing at home again until May 16, when they host Cook County.