FIELD TWP- Double-headers were double-trouble for the North Woods baseball team this past week as the Grizzlies lost both games of a home match-up against Cherry and dropped two on the road at Pequot Lakes.
The North Woods offense had a tough go of it in the opener against Cherry last Thursday, as Tigers pitcher Beau Barry mowed down 14 Grizzlies batters on strikeouts. Chris Chaulklin drove home Zach Cheney with a single in the bottom of the sixth for the Grizzlies’ only run in the 6-1 loss.
Andrew Zika pitched six innings and took the loss, giving up all six Cherry runs on seven hits and five walks. Jake Panichi came on in relief and recorded one strikeout to go with Zika’s four.
Zach Cheney took the mound for the Grizzlies in the nightcap and kept the Tigers largely in check throughout the game, allowing just three runs on seven hits while tossing three strikeouts and giving up two walks.
But Tigers pitcher Jayden Dawson was a puzzle North Woods batters had trouble solving. After North Woods gave up a run in the top of the second, they tied the game in the bottom of the third, scoring on an error. It was the Grizzlies’ only run in a 3-1 loss. Dawson retired eight Grizzlies batters on strike outs against five hits and four walks.
It was an even more dismal outing for North Woods batters in Tuesday’s road opener against Pequot Lakes as Patriots didn’t allow a single hit in a 6-0 five-inning win. The Patriots rang up six runs on six hits and a walk off Grizzlies pitcher Jake Panichi, who had four strikeouts.
Facing a two-run deficit heading into the fourth inning of the second game, the Grizzlies scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Zach Cheney smashed a double that scored Chris Chauklin, and Jake Panichi clobbered another double to bring home Cheney and Andrew Zika.
Pequot Lakes tied the score on an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth and then took the lead when a runner scored on a ground ball and an error. The Grizzles went meekly in the top of the fifth to end the game, going three up and three down on two strikeouts and a fly ball putout.
Cheney gave up three hits and struck out six in the abbreviated Grizzlies loss.