DULUTH-Drew Nordean, Sam Peterson and Dylan Quade collected the only hits for South Subsection's No. 2-seeded Aitkin Gobblers who saw their season end Thursday when they were eliminated 12-2 in five innings by North's No. 1-seeded Proctor Rails in the Section 7-2A championship game at Wade Stadium.
Aitkin seized a 2-1 lead in the second when Quade singled and Logan Cluff was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on Wyatt Kokesh's sacrifice and scored on an error by the Rails' shortstop.
Proctor took command of the game in the third when it scored eight runs on three singles, four walks and a Gobbler error.
Aitkin's Jeb Sanford took the loss. Gobblers coach Jeremy Janzen told the Duluth News Tribune that in hindsight, he should have started senior Drew Nordean on the mound. Nordean would have started the second game, if necessary.
"But we didn't get any hops, and we didn't make the plays in the field early, and that got us in trouble," Janzen said. "Fielding has been our strong point all season, but it just wasn't there. Proctor was in the driver's seat, no doubt about that."
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Eight of Aitkin's starters on Thursday were juniors, so the Gobblers could be knocking on the door of another trip to the section finals. Aitkin will graduate five seniors.
"Just great kids," Janzen said. "I love them to pieces. We try to prepare them for more than baseball."
Proctor 12 14 1
Aitkin 2 3 2
(5 innings)
WP: John Aase. LP: Jeb Sanford. 2B: P-Matt Sievert. Overall: Aitkin finishes 22-4.
