Blues sweep Cloquet

The Superior Blues Junior American Legion baseball team improved to 17-6 with a doubleheader sweep of Cloquet Monday evening at Morrie Arnovich Field.

The Blues rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the opening game 11-10.

They then turned on the power with four home runs in game two to complete the sweep with an 9-3 win.

With a scoreless tie in the third inning of the second game, Marty Manion led off with a single, which was followed by back-to-back-to-back home runs by Dylan Ramage, Sam Schiff and Nick Sitek.

Nate Hals added a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning.

Superior also scored twice in the fourth inning as Manion was hit by a pitch and scored on a Ramage sac fly, and Rob Dembroski doubled and scored on a wild pitch.

Superior finish with 13 hits. Ramage was 3-for-3 with four RBIs, Schiff had two hits and two RBIs, Sitek added a double to his home run, Hals homered, Taylor Olson double twice, Dembroski doubled and Manion and Dan Kriedler singled.

Dembroski, Sitek and Kriedler pitched for the Blues.

Taylor Blundell, Adam Hanson, Joey Singpiel, Michael Atchinson, Zach O’Hara, Kolten Karalak and Kellen Lameron had hits for Cloquet. Hanson’s hit was a home run in the sixth inning.

The Blues jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings in the opening game only to watch as Cloquet eventually took a 10-6 lead with four runs in the third inning, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the top of the seventh.

Superior had five of its nine hits in the seventh inning.

Dembroski doubled and scored on a Ramage double. After a ground out, Sitek hit a run-scoring single, Hals reached on an error and Schiff doubled to score a run. Hals eventually scored the tying run on Jordan McDonald’s single and Schiff scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch with Manion at bat.

Dembroski, Ramage, Sitek and McDonald had two hits each while Schiff doubled.

McDonald picked up the win, despite allowing three unearned runs in the seventh inning. Ramage and Al Meehan also pitched for the Blues.

Superior's regular-season ending doubleheader at Hermantown Tuesday was rained out.

The Blues’ next action is the Wisconsin regional tournament in Eau Claire. Superior’s first game is at 2:30 p.m. Thursday against Hudson. The tournament runs through Sunday.

Junior American Legion Regional

At Eau Claire

Thursday July 16

Game 1—Hudson vs. Superior, 2:30 p.m.

Game 2— River Falls vs. Chippewa Falls, 5 p.m.

Game 3— Eau Claire vs. La Crosse Central, 7:30 p.m.

Friday July 17

Game 4— Altoona vs. Winner Game 2, noon

Game 5— Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 3, 2:30 p.m.

Game 6— Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3, 5 p.m.

Game 7— Loser Game 2 vs. Winner Game 5, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday July 18

Game 8— Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 6, noon

Game 9— Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6, 2:30 p.m.

Game 10— Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 9, 5 p.m.

Game 11— Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday July 19

Game 12— Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, noon

Game 13—If Necessary, 2:30 p.m.

Winner advances to Wisconsin 17U State Tournament in Marinette beginning July 24.

NOTES: All games, except Sunday, will be played at the Bollinger Complex. Sunday’s games are at Bement Field in Altoona.

Tags: sports, baseball, superior