by Max Mercy

Matt Sievert's bases-clearing double in the fourth inning gave Proctor a 6-5 lead that that Rails never relinquished, as Proctor defeated Greenway, 8-7, in a non-conference baseball game at Marble.

Proctor went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first, as Jake Malec scored on John Aase's RBI single, but the Greenway half of the inning was disastrous for Proctor. The Raiders scored five runs on four hits, a walk, and four Proctor errors.

A one-out walk to Lucas Nordquist and three consecutive singles by Nathan Carlson, Derek Dahlgren, and Matt Tracey in the second inning netted Proctor another run as Nordquist scored on Tracey's RBI hit.

Proctor's four-run fourth inning began with a single by Carlson, who stole second base. Then, with one out, Tracey was hit by a pitch before Malec's RBI single scored Carlson. A walk to Matt Morris loaded the bases, and Sievert's two-out clout to the left-center gap cleared them and put the Rails ahead.

The Rails pushed the lead to 8-5 in the sixth, all with two outs. Aase was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on Sievert's RBI single. Sievert advanced to second on the attempt at Aase at the plate, a scary moment as he slid into home just before the catcher, who was blocking the plate, caught the ball for an unavoidable collision. Sievert was lifted for pinch runner Jerid Parrott, who scored on Blake Koski's RBI single. 

Meanwhile, starting pitcher Aase settled down after the shaky first frame by holding the Raiders scoreless for four innings. Greenway threatened in the sixth, however. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs, and a wild pitch plated a run to cut the lead to 8-6. After one out, Greenway tallied another run on an error, which put runners on first and third. Nordquist then relieved Aase.

A grounder to shortstop Tracey seemed like it could give Greenway a chance to tie the score. But, Tracey alertly picked off the over-anxious runner at third for a run-down play, a shortstop-to-catcher (Reid Morin) fielder's choice, as Morin tagged the runner as he retreated to third for the second out. Nordquist killed the threat, and preserved the 8-7 lead, on a fly out to centerfielder Carlson.

Both teams went down in order in the seventh inning.

Aase (2-1 W-L, 3.05 ERA) picked up the win, and Nordquist earned his second save of the season. Aase allowed seven runs (one earned) on eight hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Nordquist retired all five batters he faced, with one strikeout.

Sievert was 2-for-3 with a double and four RBI. Dahlgren, Tracey, and Carlson also had two hits apiece.

Greenway starter Christian Neumeyer was the losing pitcher. He allowed six runs on nine hits, three walks, and one hit batsman in four innings, with four strikeouts. Jacob Neumeyer pitched three innings in relief and allowed two runs on three hits, no walks, and one hit batsman with one strikeout.

The Raiders had eight hits by eight different batters. Dylan Sundquist had an RBI.

Proctor is now 6-3. The Rails travel to Two Harbors on Friday, May 6. Greenway, now 4-6, is at Ely on Friday.

Rails Notes

Lucas Nordquist moved into a four-way tie for third on Proctor's all-time saves list. Ahead of him are Lee Stephenson (Class of 1986), 3, and Kyle Wojtysiak (Class of 2005), 4…Matt Morris became the 27th Rails player on record to surpass 150 career at bats. He now has 152…Nathan Carlson became the 70th Rails player on record to surpass 100 career at bats. He now has 102…With two runs scored on Thursday, Jake Malec moved ahead of Ian Scherber (Class of 2012) for fifth on the Rails all-time career runs scored list. Scherber had 64 runs and Malec now stands at 65…Malec moved into a tie with Drew Scherber (Class of 2007) for sixth on Proctor's all-time hits list, at 69 apiece…John Aase moved into a tie with Tyler Pionk (Class of 2011) and Ian Scherber (Class of 2012) for second on the school's all-time hit-by-pitch list, with 12 each. The leader is Jon Podgornik (Class of 2007), at 15.