by Max Mercy

PROCTOR -- Cloquet defeated Proctor, 5-2, in a Lake Superior Conference baseball game on Thursday, May 7, at Proctor.

Winning pitcher Brandon Conklin allowed two runs on one hit and two walks with 12 strikeouts in six innings. Conklin's only hit allowed was Jake Malec's double with one on base and no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. After the hit, Conklin was relieved by Mason Brenner, who was greeted by a two-run single by Matt Morris, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games. A single by Matt Sievert advanced Morris to second base and brought the tying run to the plate, but John Aase lined out for an unassisted double play and Michael Gales popped out to end the Rails' rally and seal the Lumberjacks' victory.

Cloquet scored two runs in the first inning on Conklin's RBI double and a bases-loaded walk issued to Alec Norrgard. Cloquet padded its lead with single runs in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings.

Cloquet's Nate Weets was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Aase (4-2 W-L, 2.17 ERA) was the losing pitcher. He allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in six innings.