Grand Rapids 11, Proctor 1
Duluth News Tribune, May 16, 1997
Mike Honkanen had four hits and five RBIs as Grand Rapids beat Proctor at home in six innings.
Winning pitcher Zach Gustafson had five strikeouts and allowed two hits. Jesse Lane [had] two hits and two RBIs for the Thunderhawks, 12-4.
Joe Dardis had a home run in the second inning for the Rails.
Rapids roughs up Rails, 11-1
Grand Rapids Herald-Review, May 18, 1997
The Grand Rapids High School baseball team improved to 12-4 on the season as it ripped the Proctor Rails 11-1 in six innings in action Thursday at Legion Field, Grand Rapids.
Senior righthander Zach Gustafson hurled a two-hitter on the mound for Grand Rapids to pace the win. He allowed a second inning 340-foot home run to Proctor's Joe Dardis, but allowed just a harmless third inning single by Rails third baseman Nathan Pavlowich the rest of the way. He walked one and struck out five.
Grand Rapids scored in the first inning when Mike Honkanen doubled, Dan Persons singled and Honkanen scored on a double play grounder by Jeff Wigfield.
Proctor tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning on the home run by Dardis. However, that was to be the last highlight of the game for the Rails.
The Thunderhawks started getting to Proctor starting pitcher Brad Pilcher in the fourth inning. Wigfield singled, Gustafson and Gary Dick walked and David Nikkel hit a sacrifice fly for the first run. After Jayson Clairmont walked, catcher Jesse Lane followed with an RBI single. Honkanen then cracked a two-run single as Grad Rapids led 5-1. The Thunderhawks chased Pilcher with two outs in the inning and he was relieved by Nick Seme who didn't do too much better.
Grand Rapids added two more runs in the fifth inning to lead 7-1. Gustafson and Nikkel drew walks and David Rajala was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Clairmont was hit by a pitch to drive in one run while Honkanen singled in the other run of the inning.
[Jay Dardid], who relieved Seme with one out in the fifth inning, was roughed up in the sixth inning as Grand Rapids scored four runs to win by the 10-run rule. Thunderhawk coach Bob Streetar used his whole bench in pinch-hitting roles in the sixth inning but Proctor was still unable to stop Rapids. Marc Lane walked with the bases loaded for one RBI in the inning. Jesse Lane had an RBI single and Honkanen followed with a two-run single to end the game.
Honkanen went 4-for-5 for Grand Rapids with a double and five RBI to lead the offensive parade. Jesse Lane had two hits and two RBI. Persons had a single and a walk while Wigfield had a single and scored a run. Gustafson walked twice and scored twice while Dick walked and scored. Nikkel had a walk, sacrifice fly and RBI, and scored once while Clairmont was on base three times with two walks and a hit by pitch. Kevin Desnoyers, Terry Hamar, Josh Arsenault and Marc Lane all scored runs in the last inning for Rapids.
Proctor falls to 3-13 for the season. ...