Grand Rapids 8, Proctor 4
Duluth News Tribune, April 20, 2001
Grand Rapids scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to overcome a 4-3 deficit to win the opening game for both teams.
Brian Wickstrom had a two-run single in the fifth and Brent Magnuson was 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Thunderhawks.
Kevin Ott and winning pitcher Adam Sutherland combined for 10 strikeouts.
Mike Pehl had a two-run home run in the sixth inning to tie the game for the Rails.
Play Ball? Only Mother Nature knows for sure
Proctor Journal, April 26, 2001
...The Proctor High School baseball team has managed to squeeze in just one game out of at least five scheduled. That game, played last Thurs. in Grand Rapids, saw Proctor giving the Thunderhawks a scare before the home team exploded at the plate to win the Rails season opener. The Rapids crew came away with the 8-4 win, to give Proctor the 0-1 season start.
Proctor opened the season and the game by taking the 1-0 lead over the host crew in the top half of the first inning. Rails pitcher Scott Wojtysiak kicked off the scoring effort with a well-placed double and sprinted to third base on a shot by Erik Carlson. Then Wojtysiak rocketed home when Grand Rapids hurler Kevin Ott tossed a wild pitch.
The Thunderhawks came back in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score at 1-1.
Rapids rose up in the latter half of the second to take the 2-1 lead. The game looked very much to be on the bubble when the 'Hawks scored again to take a 3-1 lead.
It was the sixth inning that brought Proctor fans to their feet, hope renewed that the Rails could yet pull this contest out. Wojtysiak led off the top half of the sixth by reaching base on a Grand Rapids error.
That brought slugger Mike Pehl up to the plate. With a look of intensity, Pehl stepped into an offering that caught the sweet part of the bat. The ball rocketed off the hickory stick and headed down the left field line. Fans on both sides of the field stood silenced as they watched the baseball sail down the line and over the left field fence just inside the foul line marker. Suddenly the score was tied, breathing new life into the Rails' game. Proctor looked like a new, very confident team as the two marks went up on the scoreboard.
The Rails were not done yet. Another Grand Rapids error put Proctor batter Zach Shaw on base. He went to second on a stolen base, before being driven home by Ryan DeLucca who slapped the RBI single to put the Rails in the 4-3 lead.
Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there as Grand Rapids went on to plate four unanswered runs to win the contest 8-4. ...
T'Hawks rally past Proctor, 8-4
Grand Rapids Herald-Review
April 22, 2001
The Grand Rapids High School baseball team made the head coaching debut of Bill Kinnunen a good one as it defeated the Proctor Rails in season and home-opening action Thursday afternoon at Legion Field in Grand Rapids.
The Thunderhawks scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to overcome a 4-3 Proctor lead.
Proctor took a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first inning when pitcher Scott Wojtysiak led off the game with a wind-aided double off of Grand Rapids starting pitcher Kevin Ott. He advanced to third on a single by Erik Carlson and scored on a wild pitch.
The Thunderhawks tied the game in their half of the first inning when shortstop Dereck Salisbury walked with one out and eventually came around to score on a Proctor error.
Grand Rapids took a 2-1 advantage in the second inning when Matt Erzar singled with one out, advanced to second on a balk and eventually came home on another Proctor miscue.
Meanwhile, after allowing hits to the first two batters he faces, Ott settled down and used an effective curveball to keep the Rails hitters off balance. Ott struck out the side in the second inning and struck out two more in the third inning.
Ott ran into a little trouble in the fourth inning as Mike Pehl singled with one out and advanced to third on a double by Zach Shaw. However, Ott reached back and struck out the next two hitters to preserve the 2-1 Grand Rapids advantage.
Meanwhile, Grand Rapids pushed another run across in the fourth inning due to the wildness of Wojtysiak. He walked Tom Mager and Salisbury to lead off the inning. After Ott moved the runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt, Brent Magnuson brought home Mager with a sacrifice fly.
Adam Sutherland replaced Ott on the mound in the fifth inning for the Thunderhawks. Ott finished his four innings with seven strikeouts. He allowed four hits and did not walk a batter.
Sutherland retired Proctor in order in the fifth but ran into trouble in the sixth. Wojtysiak reached on an error to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to second. Pehl followed with a two-run home run that just stayed inside the foul pole down the left field line to tie the game at 3-3. Shaw reached on another Rapids error, stole second base and Ryan Delucca followed with an RBI single to put Proctor ahead 4-3.
The Thunderhawks retaliated by scoring five runs in their half of the sixth inning. Magnuson singled in Salisbury to tie the game at 4-4 and Brian Wickstrom followed with a two-run single to drive in Ott and Magnuson and give Grand Rapids a 6-4 advantage. Lenny Wilson and Mager both walked with the bases loaded later in the inning to bring in two more runs.
Sutherland retired Proctor in order in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the win. In his three innings of work, Sutherland allowed three hits, did not walk a batter and struck out three. ...