Junior Legion baseball: Blues second in own tourney

The Superior Blues Junior Legion baseball team finished in second place of its own five-team round-robin tournament last weekend at Morrie Arnovich Field and the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.

Bloomington finished in first place with a 4-0 record. Superior was next at 3-1, followed by Chippewa Falls, 2-2; Taconite, 1-3; and Thunder Bay, 0-4.

Blues started the tournament with a 13-3 loss to Bloomington on Friday, July 5.

Kell Piggott started for the Blues and pitched two scoreless innings before Bloomington scored six runs on six hits in the third inning. Tucker Johnson pitched in relief.

Jason Samarziya had two of the Blues’ four hits while Brennen Werner and George Hansen had one apiece.

The Blues rebounded with a 20-7 win over Taconite on Saturday, July 6.

Samarziya, Dylan Ronchi and Werner pitched for the Blues and Andrew Klobucher led the way on offense with three of the Blues’ 11 hits.

Samarziya and Hansen had two apiece and Johnson, Ronchi, Ethan Raye and Wyatt Johnson each had one hit.

Klobucher pitched a complete-game shutout in the Blues’ 11-0 win over Thunder Bay on Saturday night. Hit two-hitter included five strikeouts and one walk.

Klobucher also had two hits along with Johnson, while Ronchi, Werner, Piggott, Raye and Blake Arnovich had a hit each.

The Blues finished off the tourney with a 7-1 victory over Chippewa Falls on Sunday, July 7.

Werner started and pitched five no-hit innings while walking four and striking out five. Johnson pitched two innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits.

Klobucher continued his hot hitting with a triple and two singles. Werner, Raye and Piggott added two hits apiece and Ronchi and Dayne Evanson had one hit apiece.

The Blues are at Cumberland for a doubleheader Tuesday, July 9, and at Hibbing Wednesday, July 10, before hosting the 17U Junior Legion Regional tournament July 12-14 at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.

The double-elimination regional tournament opens with Chippewa Falls playing Ashland at noon Friday, July 12. Game two is Eau Claire vs. Superior at 2:30 p.m.

Action runs through Sunday with the winner advancing to the 17U State Junior Legion Tournament in Marshfield the following weekend.

NOTE: Eau Claire went 4-0 at the Central Wisconsin Junior Legion Classic in Plover last weekend, shutting out all of its competitors.

Game 1 — Chippewa Falls vs, Ashland, noon

Game 2 — Eau Claire vs. Superior, 2:30 p.m.

Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (loser eliminated), 5 p.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 1 vs Winner game 2, 7:30 p.m.

Game 5 — Winner Game 3 vs Loser Game 4 (loser eliminated), noon

Game 6 — Winner Game 4 vs Winner Game 5, 2:30 p.m.

Game 7 — Winner Game 6 vs Loser Game 6 if necessary, noon

1/5: Superior Blues' Jason Samarziya (11) fields a ball in the fourth inning of the Blues’ game with Bloomington Friday, July 5, at Morrie Arnovich Field. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

2/5: Superior Blues' Andrew Klobucher makes a grab in centerfield in the second inning of the Blues’ game with Bloomington Friday, July 5, at Morrie Arnovich Field. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

3/5: Superior Blues' Kell Piggott delivers a pitch in the second inning of the Blues’ game with Bloomington Friday, July 5, at Morrie Arnovich Field. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

4/5: Superior Blues' Blake Arnovich (14) makes an out in foul territory in the third inning of the Blues’ game with Bloomington Friday, July 5, at Morrie Arnovich Field. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

5/5: Superior Blues' Ethan Raye (17) makes a play at first base during the Blues’ game with Bloomington Friday, July 5, at Morrie Arnovich Field. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)