Proctor 8, Hibbing 5
Duluth News Tribune, May 24, 1986
Jeff Erikson had three hits, including a solo homer in the fourth, and drove in three runs as Proctor won the non-conference game in Hibbing.
Mark Slattengren had two hits and drove in a run as Proctor raised its record to 8-6.
Scott Jezierski worked five innings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs, for the pitching victory.
Joe Sacco had four hits -- three of them doubles -- and drove in three runs for Hibbing. Dennis Angellotti had two hits and two RBI.
Hibbing nine falls to Proctor 8-5
Hibbing Daily Tribune, May 23, 1986
By DAN ANDERSON
Jeff Erikson's solo homer in the fourth inning proved to be the winner as the Proctor Rails defeated Hibbing, 8-5, in prep baseball at Bennett Park on Friday evening.
Hibbing won the preliminary B squad game, 12-10, in five innings.
Erikson, who went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, jolted Mike Bugliosi's 0-0 pitch over the fence in left with one out in the fourth.
Behind 5-0 after the Rails erupted for five runs in the top of the second, Hibbing chipped away at that lead with three runs in the second, one in the fourth, and one in the fifth, but could not make it all the way back.
It was closer than the final score indicates, as Hibbing's run in the fifth brought the Bluejackets back to 6-5 until Proctor plated two insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
Hibbing catcher Joe Sacco was the offensive star of the game, smashing three doubles and one single in four trips to the plate.
Proctor, 8-6, out-hit the Bluejackets, 11-7. The Rails made two errors, and Hibbing had one. The Bluejacket record falls to 3-10.
Scott Jezierski pitched the victory, allowing six hits and five runs in five innings, three of the runs earned. He struck out four and walked two.
Fire-baller Lee Stephenson earned the save, allowing just one hit and no runs in the last two innings, fanning three and walking one.
Hibbing starter Bugliosi was lifted with no outs in the sixth, after allowing nine hits and six runs, all of them earned, striking out and walking five. Reliever Ray Niskanen was touched for two hits and two unearned runs in the last two innings.
Bugliosi got out of the first with the aid of a well-turned 5-4-3 double play. Brent Lonson to Doug Turrel to Tim Arnold. Sacco threw out a runner trying to steal second. Sacco doubled to right with two out in the bottom of the first, but was stranded on second base.
The Rails loaded the bases with one out in the second, on a hit batsman, a single by Dan Chicos, and a walk. Jezierski singled through the hole in the right side to drive in the first two runs.
Mark Slattengren beat out an infield single to plate the third run, with two out. Then Erikson lifted a soft liner in center that fell for a two-run single.
Tim Arnold walked and Lonson singled to right, leading off Hibbing's second. Arnold scored from third on Bugliosi's ground ball to first, and Lonson came home on a fly ball to center by John Saccoman. Tom Sullivan reached on an error at first, and came home on a triple to the alley in right, making it 5-3.
Erikson's four-bag shot to left put the Rails ahead 6-3 in the top of the fourth. Hibbing made it 6-4 in the bottom of the inning. Bugliosi walked and took second on a passed ball. After two pop-ups to short, Bugliosi scored when Angelotti grounded a single through the box.
Bugliosi faced four batters in the top of the fifth, striking out two. Hibbing plated another run in the bottom of the inning to close in at 6-5. Sacco led off and drilled a high double to the gap in right, and scored when Arnold's grounder was misplayed by the shortstop.
Bugliosi whiffed the first batter in the sixth, but was replaced by Niskanen after allowing singles to Slattengren and Erikson.
The second out came on a strange play. Mark Kieren's high drive to short right center was fielded on one hop by Angellotti, who threw to Torrel, who relayed to Tim Kemp for a force out at second. Torrel made a fine catch of Todd Vanneste's soft liner in back of second to get the final out of the inning.
Proctor's Chicos beat out an infield hit and Todd Fontaine reached first with a bunt single to start the seventh. Niskanen bore down and struck out the next two, but then two runs scored on a dropped fly ball in left. That made it 8-5.
A walk put two runners aboard. Coach Tim Scott roared off the bench after the next play, arguing that Slattengren interfered with Torrel as he tried to field a grounder and make the out at second. Umpire Brian Karich ended up ejecting Scott, which fired up the Hibbing bench. The final out came on a fly to left.
Sacco led off Hibbing's seventh with his third double of the evening, this one over the right fielder's head. But he was stranded on third as Stephenson's fastball was just too much for the Bluejacket batsmen.
"We sure are playing competitive baseball," said Scott of the Bluejackets. "Sacco has been just ripping the ball. I just can't believe there aren't some college coaches looking at him. It's not going to take long and the word's going to get out.
"It's tough to be 3 and 10, but the record doesn't really bother me because I know we're better than that," Scott said. "We play a competitive schedule, against a lot of senior-dominated teams. Our guys have a lot of guts. They're not going to go down without a fight. One of these days we're going to really break loose."
Hibbing has two regular-season games left, this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in Bennett Park against the top-seeded Region 7-AA North team, International Falls. On Saturday the Bluejackets will visit Sauk Rapids for a noon game.
The Bluejackets will open sub-region play Tuesday at Wade Stadium in Duluth, early in the afternoon, against either East or Central.
PROCTOR AB R H BI
Wayne Amendola, Jr. 3110
Craig Peterson, PH 1000
Bill Bergstrom, RF 0000
Mark Slattengren, SS 4021
Jeff Erikson, CF-RF-3B 4133
Mark Kieren, C 5010
Todd Vanneste, RF 2100
Randy Fietek, CF 1000
Dan Chicos, LF 4220
Todd Fontaine, 1B 3210
Scott Jezierski, P 1112
Lee Stephenson, P 1000
Jeff Viner, 2B 2000
Chris Kindgren, PH 1000
TOTALS 33 8 11 6
PITCHING
Scott Jezierski (W, 1-0) 5.0 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 SO
Lee Stephenson (SV) 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 SO