Proctor wins, ties for lead

by JIM GOEBEL Of the News-Tribune staff

Proctor pitcher Dale Nikko had heard and read about Central's running game and Thursday he saw first-hand what the Trojans could do on the basepaths.

After the Trojans had stolen four bases in the first three innings, Nikko picked two consecutive runners off base in the fourth and the Rails rallied to win 7-4 and tie Central for the Lake Superior Conference baseball lead at 5-1.

Joh Zimmerman led off the fourth for Central with a walk. While Nikko was trying to keep an eye on Zimmerman, Warren Mitchell, the next hitter, squared around to bunt on every pitch. Nikko threw a wild pitch and Zimmerman advanced to second. Mitchell then walked, too.

But then Nikko wheeled around and picked Zimmerman off second base. Seconds later, he caught Mitchell leaning the wrong way at first, and he too was picked off.

Mike Pease, the batter all this time, reached second on an error and Bob Miller followed with a single to drive him in.

"That was a big inning," Proctor Coach Rich Petersson said. "They got two walks, an error and a hit and got just one run. We could have been down 6-3."

But Petersson said he liked the Trojans' running game and admitted it really takes an exceptional catcher to stop it.

After the unusual fourth inning, Nikko, who said he was thinking a lot about Central's base burners, settled down and retired eight of the last nine batters.

However, the Rails, 9-2 overall, still faced a 4-3 deficit going into the fifth inning. With one out, Mike Grover got an infield hit and John Baublitz followed with a single to left. Then the Rails No. 4 and 5 hitters, Jay Nelson and Joe Gaboury, hit doubles. Gaboury scored a play later on an error.

Nelson and Gaboury had hit doubles to straight-away centerfield in the three-run first inning. Gaboury finished the afternoon with four RBIs and Nelson had two.

The Trojans, 11-3 overall, had tagged Nikko, 6-0, with five of their eight hits in the second and third innings. Central got one run in the second when Mike Miller singled, was awarded second when Nikko dropped the ball while on the rubber, and scored when Zimmerman hit a double up the gap in left-center.

Central used a double by Randy Hill, an infield hit and two stolen bases by Dan Edwards, and a single by Scott Lord to score two runs in the third.

The Trojans will have a chance to gain sole possession of first in the LSC Saturday at Wade Stadium against winless Cathedral at 10 a.m.

Proctor will have a nonconference game Saturday at Superior and will return to LSC action Tuesday at Two Harbors.

(Duluth News Tribune, May 13, 1977)