by Max Mercy
PROCTOR -- Duluth Central stopped Proctor's 13-game win streak with an 8-2 victory over the Rails in a Lake Superior Conference baseball game at Proctor. Central had a 15-hit attack and scored seven runs in the last three innings.
Central took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a single by Blaine Midthun and an RBI double by Jarrod Amondson. Proctor answered back with a run the bottom of the third inning when Jimmy Merling singled, stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error, and scored on an RBI single by Jesse Scanlon.
Central made it 4-1 with a three-run fifth inning. Jordan Verry and Garrett Hanson led off the inning with back-to-back doubles, and Midthun hit an RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch. Central added one run in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Verry. The Trojans scored three runs on five hits in the seventh inning.
Proctor scored a run in the seventh inning on a bases-loaded walk to Evan Scherber. Proctor left the bases loaded in the third and seventh innings, and had 13 runners left-on-base in the game.
Central's Dylan Rocklin had three hits, and Midthun, Amundson, Verry, and Derek Meger had two hits apiece.
Merling had three hits for Proctor, and Scanlon and Scherber had two hits each.
Winning pitcher Jon Kusch worked five and two-thirds innings allowing one run on eight hits, three walks, and one hit batsman. He had four strikeouts.
Losing pitcher Jake Lewis went the distance for Proctor. He allowed seven earned runs on 15 hits, zero walks, and one hit batsman. He had six strikeouts.
Proctor (13-1) travels to Crosby-Ironton on Tues., May 24, and Hibbing on Thurs., May 26, to close out their regular season.
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Rails Notes: Jimmy Merling had one stolen base in Monday's game against Central. He now has 15 this season, which ties Jeff Merling (1977) and Tony Dincau (1982) for the PHS single-season record. Merling also now has 28 career stolen bases, which ties Dan Norton (1979-81) and Nik Peterson (1979-81) for the PHS career record.