Rapids, Cambridge in finals

by JIM GOEBEL Of the News-Tribune staff

PRINCETON -- A double by Todd Burnquist drove in pinch runner Jim Lindahl with the winning run in the ninth inning as Cambridge defeated Proctor 3-2 in the semifinals of the Region 7AA high school baseball tournament here.

The Blue Jackets will face Grand Rapids, a 2-1 winner over Denfeld in an earlier game Monday night.

The Blue Jackets, 16-3, will likely send Randy Nelson, 5-2, to the mound in the 8:15 p.m. game here today against Rapids' hard-throwing Jim Jetland who stifled Denfeld with three scoreless innings of superb relief pitching. Grand Rapids is 16-1.

After both Proctor and Cambridge missed scoring opportunities in the eighth inning, the Jackets finally capitalized on Burnquist's double to dethrone the defending Region 7AA champion.

In the eighth inning, a missed suicide squeeze with the bases loaded blew Cambridge's chance to go ahead. The Rails also had an opportunity in the bottom of the inning when the singling John Baublitz was stranded at third with one out.

Proctor, 14-4, tied the game in the seventh inning when Joe Gaboury scored on a ground-out by Mark Anderson. Gaboury had started the inning with a walk, took second on a delayed steal and moved to third on Bill Kuzas' infield out.

Rails junior pitcher Dale Nikko, who suffered his first loss in 11 starts, settled down after an erratic start and finished with 11 strikeouts.

He was hampered by early-inning wildness, but the Blue Jackets could only get one run because of it.

Cambridge loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning on a pair of walks and an error. But Nikko fanned the next batter, and third baseman Jay Nelson stabbed a line drive on the line to save a least two runs. Nikko got the third out on a grounder.

Cambridge took advantage of Nikko's control problems in the second inning. Jerry Anderson walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by John Blofberg. Anderson then dashed home on another wild pitch.

The Jackets scored again in the third inning on a single by Mike Turnquist, who promptly stole second. He went to third on catcher Kuzas' throw into center field. Rich Polzeen, the batter, then singled in Turnquist.

Proctor spoiled Tony Duff's attempt for a fifth shutout of the season in the bottom half of the third. Duff, who finished with 11 strikeouts, hit Mark Anderson with a pitch and walked Jeff Merling. With two out, Mike Grover brought Anderson home with a hard single to left...

(Duluth News Tribune, June 7, 1977)