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Proctor Rails

Recap for the 04/27/2000 game vs. Duluth Central

Preview Recap
Proctor Rails 7, Duluth Central 6

Proctor slips past Duluth Central in 8 innings

Ryon Morgando drove in Luke Wargin with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning as Proctor defeated visiting Duluth Central 7-6 in a high school baseball game Thursday.

Catcher Erik Esala had a fifth-inning two-run home run for Proctor (2-4). Morgando had a solo homer in the third. Winning pitcher Aaron Strom worked the final inning.

Anthony Smith had a solo homer in the second inning and scored two runs.

(Duluth News Tribune, April 28, 2000)

Rails squeak out win in extra inning slug fest

Proctor 2, Central 1 [sic]


It did not take long to realize two well-matched teams were going head-to-head when the Proctor Rails baseball team played host to the Duluth Central Trojans.

This slugfest went into extra innings before a winner was crowned, keeping fans from both sides perched on the edge of their seats. At the same time the nail-biter proved to be the kind of game that has a way of turning a coach's hair gray.

Ryon Morgando emerged the big hero. The dedicated athlete stepped up to the plate in the latter half of the eighth inning, with teammate Luke Wargin perched at third base. There was but one out showing on the scoreboard, so players and fans alike knew all it was going to take was a well-hit fly ball deep into the outfield. After all, the score was tied. Knowing a win here would be a big emotional boost for the Rails, fans were clutching fists and gritting teeth at the prospect of picking up their second win of the season.

A nervous tension shrouded the stands. Morgando was the batter any coach would want at the plate in this situation. The cleanup batter, Morgando has been the backbone of the Rails offense so far this season.

Would the game end right here or was there at least one more inning yet to be played? Hopes were running high that this contest would not go into many more innings. While the temperature was not bad, a heavily overcast sky combined with a chilling east wind caused it to feel rather uncomfortable as the day moved into evening.

Morgando stood poised and ready at the plate, bat back and feet set waiting for that perfect pitch. In a flash that pitch came screaming in towards the readied slugger, who stepped into the offering. The ring of the bat making contact with the ball pretty well told the whole story, as the red-stitched orb rocketed off the barrel of the aluminum cylinder. The ball went deep into the outfield and even though it was pulled down for an out, the runner staged at third base was able to easily beat the throw to home to end the game.

Proctor came away the 2-1 [sic] victors.

(Proctor Journal, May 4, 2000)