SOUTH RIDGE— The Timberwolves were heading into this weekend’s annual Veterans Showcase tournament still looking for answers with just ten days to go in the regular season.
“The way we are playing right now, we need every call and every break to go our way,” said Head Coach Frank Ivancich, who watched his team drop three of four contests in the past week. In Monday’s game against the Panthers, very little went the Timberwolves’ way as the defending Section 7A champions pounded Ely 15-5.
While the Wolves have found a variety of ways to lose in recent games, pitching proved their Achilles’ heel at South Ridge. Senior pitcher Drew Marolt suffered his shortest start of the season as he struggled with control, walking four and hitting three batters in just an inning and two-thirds of work.
Senior Elliott Levens didn’t fare much better, walking two and hitting a batter in his two-thirds of an inning worked. Sophomore Jack Davies climbed the mound for Ely in the third and hit three more South Ridge batters while surrendering five runs while facing just 6 batters. Junior Ben Leeson tossed the final inning and two-thirds, giving up four runs on four hits.
“The sole bright spot for the Wolves was a three-run home run by Drew Marolt in the third inning for Ely,” said Ivancich. Caid Chittum notched two hits and 2 RBIs as well, but it was too little, too late, noted Ivancich. “Putting 15 runners on base with eight walks and seven hit batters, there was no way we were ever going to win,” said Ivancich. “Especially against the defending Section 7A champions.”
The Wolves dropped two more games over the weekend, taking part in the Blackduck tournament. Errors proved Ely’s undoing in the afternoon contest with Blackduck. The Drakes took advantage of three Ely errors in the first two innings to jump out to a 5-0 lead. The Wolves cut their lead to 5-2 in the sixth inning as Levens, senior Deegan Richards, and freshman Owen Marolt all notched hits. The Drakes added two more in the bottom of the frame on another Ely error to extend their lead to 7-2.
The Wolves rallied in the seventh, as Levens and Drew Marolt both notched doubles to put four more runs on the board but they left the bases loaded as the comeback fizzled.
Starting pitcher Owen Marolt struggled with control, walking seven batters while giving up just two hits in three innings of work.
“We just dug ourselves another hole early in the game,” said Ivancich. “Five more errors and eight walks to any team is just putting pressure on us.”
It was a sixth inning comedy of errors that put Ely on the short end of a 10-3 score against Red Lake County Saturday morning. “Red Lake County erupted for six runs on one hit in the bottom of the sixth inning to blow open a 4-2 game,” said Ivancich.  It was five Ely errors in the frame that made the difference. “Against a fundamentally solid team like Red Lake County,” said Ivancich, “you just cannot commit eight errors in a game and expect to win.  We just mentally broke down in some key situations that ultimately cost us.”
Senior hurler Brecken Sandberg took the loss for Ely, giving up six runs on four hits while striking out eight and walking just two.
Sophomore Drew Johnson, Chittum, Drew Marolt, and senior Deegan Richards each notched two hits as the Wolves outhit Red Lake 12 to 5. The Wolves stranded 12 runners, further adding to their troubles.
The Wolves did manage a win at home last Thursday, when they downed Chisholm 11-0 on the strength of a near-perfect pitching performance by sophomore Hunter Halbakken, who faced just one batter over the minimum in the one-hit shutout. Halbakken struck out ten and walked just one in one of Ely’s best pitching performances of the season so far.
Ely’s offense showed promise as well, as Levens drove in three runs while Leeson and Drew Marolt drove in two runs apiece. Halbakken helped his cause with two hits as well.
While the Chisholm result was a high point, following up with three straight losses deflated hopes a bit. “Mentally we are a very fragile team and are making way too many excuses for our lack of focus,” said Ivancich. “As I told the team we are going to face every team’s number one or number two pitchers going forward and we need to be ready for that. We are just not good enough to just show up and think we are going to win.”
Ely will host its annual Veterans Showcase tournament this Friday and Saturday. See the schedule on page 1B of this week’s issue.