Proctor wins classic region game
Duluth News Tribune, June 4, 1976
by IRV MOSSBERGER Of the News Tribune Staff

Mike Hudspith, one of only four seniors on the Proctor team, had a four-word phrase running through his head as he waited for a ground ball hit by Denfeld's Russ Hellgren Wednesday night at Wade Stadium.

"We're going to state!"

His Proctor teammates erupted into a chorus of that phrase as the ball popped into Hudspith's glove and he threw to first baseman Ken Elnes for the last out of the game to give the Rails the Region 7AA baseball championship with a classic 2-1 victory over the Denfeld Hunters.

"That's all I could think of when I saw that ball coming at me," said Hudspith. "There was no way I was going to mess that up. It took an easy hop and it was right there."

Hudspith's play preserved the pitching win for gutty righthander Dale Nikko, a sophomore ironman who went the distance for the second straight day. Nikko fashioned a five-hitter against the slugging Hunters after posting a two-hit shutout in the semifinals Tuesday against Grand Rapids.

Nikko's heorics, which came before an enthusiastic crowd of 929 -- the largest paid attendance at Wade in recent years -- didn't stop on the mound, however. He also delivered a crucial double down the left field line in the top of the last inning to drive in the tying run. He had prevented Denfeld from scoring its second run in the fourth inning when he charged off the mound to cover home plate after a wild pitch. Catcher Joe Gaboury retrieved the ball and fired it back to Nikko in time to catch Larry Tessier coming in.

Nikko was bowled over and took a hard shot on the play but held onto the ball.

"No, I didn't really get hurt on that," said the blond haired sophomore. "In fact, I didn't get over the butterflies until I was hit. I had a little trouble settling down at the start of the game."

Denfeld scored its only run in the first inning, and it looked as if that run would hold up for the Hunters' Jim Watts, who suffered the defeat despite pitching a six-hitter and recording six strikeouts.

The Hunters' third baseman, Jim Mortinsen, scored the run by breezing home on Mike Castonguay's booming triple to right centerfield. Mortinsen had reached first on the only base on balls delivered by Nikko all night.

The Hunters threatened again in the third when Mortinsen singled and moved to third on Jim Jago's base hit, but Nikko struck out Castonguay to retire the side. Nikko stopped Tessier's threat in the fourth, and the Hunters were throttled from then until the final inning.

Proctor, which came into the tournament with a 6-10 record, capped its rags-to-riches story in the seventh by scoring both its runs in the top of the seventh.

Gaboury started the rally by knocking a grounder to the right side of the infield that the Hunters' first baseman, Tessier, had trouble hanging onto. By the time he secured the ball Gaboury had beaten him to the bag.

Bill Kuzas went in as a pitch runner, and went to second on Mike Grover's grounder to second. Castonguay, the Hunters' second baseman, was looking for the doubleplay but barely got Grover at first. Proctor coach Dave Anderson disputed the out, but Nikko's double, which skipped over the bag just out of Mortinsen's reach, sent in Kuzas with the tying run and settled down the Proctor club.

Nikko moved to third on John Baublitz' groundout, then scored on designated hitter Jon Nelson's sharp single to right center.

Nikko got the first two Hunters in the bottom of the seventh, taking Dave Crain's popup and striking out Brian Moe, but designated hitter Daron Johnson lofted a fly to right that carried over Cliff Grover's head for a triple. That final threat ended with Hudspith picked up Hellgren's grounder to end the game.

A dejected John Bergstrom, who like Anderson was looking for his first state-entry team (both are in their ninth year) admitted it was "An awful tough way to lose a 'ball game.'" But the Hunters' coach also appreciated Nikko's efforts.

"I've never, in nine years as head coach, seen a kid pitch back-to-back games like that," said Bergquist.

"I wasn't kidding when I said he could throw forever," said Anderson of Nikko. "I told you he was a tough kid."

Nikko will be pitching again Monday in the first round of the state tourney against the Region 8AA champion at Wadena.

Pitching
Dale Nikko W (7-4), 7.0 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 SO