'Jet' puts damper on Rail traffic

by JIM GOEBEL of the News-Tribune staff

VIRGINIA -- Allow Grand Rapids one or two runs and it might as well be six or a dozen. That's how big a "1" or "2" stands in the run-production column for [Rapids] behind a stellar pitching staff.

Proctor yielded Grand Rapids two runs and it sealed the Rails' fate as [Rapids] successfully defended their Region 7AA baseball title 2-1 at rundown Ewens Field Tuesday.

[Rapids] will advance to the outstate round of the state Class AA tournament Monday at Wade Stadium against the Region 6AA champion at 7:30 p.m. The Region 6AA champion will come from the Lake Conference in the Twin Cities...

...Jim Jetland, who had allowed just one run this season, pitched five scoreless innings in relief of starter Roger Bishop to pick up his eighth victory without a loss against the Rails.

Jetland pitched a two-hit 3-0 triumph over St. Francis Monday, giving Rapids its 13th shutout of the season. [Rapids] have now won 19 straight since an opening season loss to Cambridge. That loss came on [Rapids]' first day outside.

Bishop, 7-0, struggled against the Rails before giving up his second run of the season in the third inning.

Junior Tim Norton led off the top of the third for the Rails with a walk against Bishop. He stole second and scored from there when catcher Dave Salminen couldn't find the ball after a wild pitch by Bishop. Bishop got behind in the count against Bill Kuzas and [Rapids] Coach Bob Streetar switched him with Jetland at third base.

"Roger wasn't sharp," Streetar said. "He just didn't have it. The ball wasn't popping for him.

"I was hoping to get 4-5 innings out of Roger," Streetar said. "That's the first bad outing he's had all year. He was having trouble finding the plate and then you can't pitch the way you want to."

Jetland, who is headed to the University of Minnesota on a hockey and baseball scholarship, got Kuzas out, but then was greeted by a single to left by John Baublitz. The Rails touched Jetland for just one more hit, a shot off Jetland's glove by Mark Anderson in the fifth for an infield single.

"The kids know that if we score 1-2 runs the other team is in trouble," Streetar said. "He (Jetland) got out of the (third) inning and we scored and Jet said, 'That's it.'"

A bad hop single to the right side of the rough infield by Scott Martin and a single to left by Dave Stanelle started the [Rapids] rally in the last half of the third. Proctor pitcher Dale Nikko, who had a temperature of 103 degrees Tuesday morning, walked Steve Anderson to load the bases.

Jetland won his own ball game then when he ripped a shot up the left-center field alley that rolled under the fence for a ground rule double. Anderson would have also scored, but had to stop at third because of the rule.

"We would have scored another run," Streetar said. "The hole was there, but I guess that's just the breaks of the game."

However, Streetar and Proctor Coach Rich Petersson both complained before the game about the field's condition. The grass needed to be cut and a running track divided the outfield. The game was stopped in the second inning because of problems with the pitching rubber.

Three bases were stolen and a player wasn't thrown out stealing in the three-game tournament. Streetar said, "The catchers never had a chance throwing out of a sand pit.

"I think there should be some requirements before you host a tournament," Streetar said. "Somebody from someplace should have taken a look at it (before the tournament)."

(Duluth News Tribune, June 7, 1978)