by Max Mercy
ST. CLOUD -- Proctor's hopes of playing in the championship game at Target Field were dashed in the opening game of the 2011 Minnesota State Class AA Baseball Tournament, as the Rails fell to Fairmont 6-1 on Thursday morning at Dick Putz Field. The Rails bounced back on Friday morning with a 4-1 win in the consolation bracket over St. Anthony Village at Joe Faber Field. The win marked the first state baseball tournament victory in PHS history, and set up a consolation championship game on Friday afternoon against Delano at Joe Faber Field, which Proctor lost by a score of 5-1.
Fairmont 6, Proctor 1
June 16 -- Tyler Pionk led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and scored Proctor's first run in a state tournament when Pat Everson reached on an error. It was all the Rails could muster against Fairmont hurler Logan Peymann, who allowed just three hits in a complete game effort.
Fairmont tied the score at 1-1 in the second inning with a solo home run by Ryan Noll. Fairmont went ahead 2-1 in the third inning on a throwing error on a double-steal attempt.
The Cardinals scored four runs in the fourth inning on three hits, two walks, and one error. Peymann got the big hit, a two-run single.
Losing pitcher Alex Oachs (5-1, 2.26 ERA) worked four innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout. Ben Nelson pitched three innings of scoreless, no-hit relief.
Peymann allowed four walks and had one strikeout.
Proctor 4, St. Anthony Village 1
June 17 --
Winning pitcher Jake Lewis (8-1, 2.42 ERA) threw a three-hitter and Ryan McCarthy hit a two-run home run as Proctor defeated St. Anthony Village in the consolation round on Friday morning.
McCarthy put the Rails ahead in the first inning with a home run that also scored Jesse Scanlon, who had reached base on a walk. It was McCarthy's seventh home run of 2011, which is tied with Mike Pehl's 2002 school record for the most home runs hit in a season.
St. Anthony Village scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first on a hit, an error, a wild pitch, and an RBI groundout. The Huskies threatened with back-to-back singles with two outs in the fourth inning, but Lewis retired the next batter on a fly out.
Lewis had four strikeouts and zero walks in his sixth complete game of the season.
Proctor added two insurance runs in the fifth inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Scanlon and McCarthy.
Delano 5, Proctor 1
June 17 --
Delano scored four runs on five hits in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead, and added another run in the third as the Tigers won the consolation championship.
Proctor's lone run was scored in the fifth inning. Nick Nylund doubled and was replaced by courtesy runner Jack Nikko. Nikko scored when Jimmy Merling's infield hit resulted in a throwing error past the first baseman.
Losing pitcher Ben Nelson (6-2, 2.55 ERA) settled down after the third inning for his fourth complete game of the season. He allowed five runs on 10 hits and zero walks. He had three strikeouts. Nelson threw just 15 balls in 84 pitches.
Proctor finished the season with a 22-4 record. The Rails qualified for the state tournament for the second time in school history and first time in 35 years.
Click here for more information regarding the 2011 State Baseball Tournament, including tournament brackets.
Click here to read a Fairmont vs. Proctor preview from the Fairmont Sentinel newspaper. Click on the Fairmont game's score to read the Sentinel's game summary.