SILVER BAY— Ely returned from its trip to the North Shore on Tuesday with two key post-season wins under its belt and the prospect of home field advantage in the next contest in the Section 7A baseball tournament.
In the play-in game Tuesday afternoon, the Wolves made short work of a North Woods team that has struggled all season. Ely pitcher Hunter Halbakken proved indomitable on the mound, allowing just one hit while striking out six as the Wolves cruised to a 10-0 five-inning victory.
Ely junior Cade Chittum paced Ely’s nine-hit offensive attack with three hits and two RBIs. Junior Ben Leeson added two hits and two RBIs, while freshman Stig Majerus notched two RBIs on a hit.
North Woods stats were unavailable as of press time. The loss in the one-and-done round of the double elimination tournament dropped the Grizzlies final season record to a disappointing 3-12.
In the nightcap, the sixth-seeded Wolves faced a much tougher opponent in the third-seeded Mariners. But Ely, fresh off its big win over North Woods, wasted no time in claiming the momentum in their second game as they took advantage of three hits and four Silver Bay walks to put seven runs on the board in the top of the first.
Chittum, along with seniors Elliott Levens and Deegan Richards, each had RBI singles in the first inning to fuel the scoring parade.
Meanwhile, Brecken Sandberg scattered five hits and struck out four from the mound during four and two-thirds innings for the win. He allowed just one run in the first four innings, but a three-run shot by Silver Bay’s Mac Williams cut the Wolves lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth, which proved to be the final.
Halbakken came on in relief and shut down the Mariners in over the next two and a third innings for the save.
“We got two good pitching performances today from Hunter who picked up a win and a save, as he threw seven and a third innings, giving up only 2 hits,” said Ely Head Coach Frank Ivancich. “Brecken also pitched well despite struggling throughout.”
Chittum again led Ely’s offense, with two hits and two RBIs. Levens also added two hits for Ely.
While it was a good day for the Wolves, the competition just gets stiffer. With their wins on Tuesday, they’re set to travel to South Ridge on Thursday to take on the second-seeded Panthers. That game gets underway at 10:45 a.m.