International Falls’ baseball team wasn’t able to get on base until the fifth inning Thursday when the Broncos’ season came to an end in the second round of the Section 7AA Tournament.
Cloquet, the South Sub-Section’s No. 1 seed, defeated the Falls, seeded No. 4 in the North Sub-Section, 7-3 in a game played at Hibbing.
The Broncos ended the season at 14-7, while Cloquet advanced to play Proctor to open the Section 7AA final four double-elimination.
The Lumberjacks’ Adam Hanson pitched a complete game to record the win as he scattered 3 hits with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts.
The Broncos’ Caleb Dahlin gave up 8 hits with a walk and hit two batters while striking out eight as he pitched six innings in a losing effort.
Cloquet sent all nine batters to the plate in the opening frame after scoring 3 runs with 3 hits. The inning’s final run came with two outs and the bases loaded as the third strike on Dylan McIvor got away from Falls catcher Christian Kittelson.
The Lumberjacks pulled ahead 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Brandon Conklin drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to the outfield and Trent Moe doubled to bring in another run.
The Broncos finally scored in the fifth inning. Kittelson reached base on an error and then advanced to third on another error on the throw following a fly out to the outfield by Ben Humbert. Josh Potter bunted Kittelson home.
Cloquet added 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth. Derek Anderson singled and then ended up scoring when a pop out left home plate uncovered. Kaleb Kadelbach doubled and scored on a double by Moe, who ended up with 3 hits.
The Broncos ended up bringing the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh when Dahlin and Kittelson both scored after being walked home. Wyatt Ulrich was Falls’ eighth batter of the inning when he grounded out with the bases loaded to end the game.
I. Falls 4, Greenway 2
The Broncos opened the Section 7AA Tournament at home Wednesday with a 4-2 victory over Greenway, the No. 5 seed in their Sub-Section.
Falls took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Kittelson’s double drove in Dahlin and Gunnar Anderson.
The Broncos extended their lead to 4 runs in the fourth when a two-out hit by Ulrich brought home Potter and Jackson Vollom.
Greenway scored both of its runs in the top of the fifth after Pat Shea and Erikur Arnason both walked and reached home on wild pitches.
Kittelson started on the mound for the Falls and pitched 4 1/3 inning to record the victory, giving up both runs on a hit with 5 walks while striking out five.
Humbert closed out the game pitching the final 2 2/3 innings as he didn’t allow a run on a hit with a walk while striking out five.
Tyler Peterson recorded the pitching loss for Greenway after working four-plus innings and giving up all 4 runs on 7 hits with 3 walks while striking out four. Alex Troumbly pitched the Raiders’ final two innings and didn’t give up a run or a hit with 2 strikeouts.
Thursday’s results
Cloquet 7, I. Falls 3
I. Falls 0-0-0 0-1-0 2 — 3 3 5
Cloquet 3-0-0 2-0-2 X — 7 8 3
WP—Adam Hanson; LP—Caleb Dahlin
Wednesday’s results
I. Falls 4, Greenway 2
Greenway 0-0-0 0-2-0 0 — 2 2 1
I. Falls 2-0-0 2-0-0 X — 4 7 1
WP—Christian Kittelson; LP—Tyler Peterson
