by Max Mercy

On a day when Two Harbors registered as the hottest place in the United States, at 90 degrees at 11:00 a.m., the 4:30 p.m. scheduled game time was pushed back due to many small but severe thunderstorms rolling through. Then, when the game finally started, a smoky, pungent haze was in the air, evidently caused by a wildfire on the east Range.

With all of these extreme conditions, Proctor and Two Harbors still managed to play a non-conference baseball game at Two Harbors, with Proctor winning, 13-1, in five innings.

Matt Morris put the Rails ahead in the top of the first inning with a two-run triple, scoring Matt Tracey, who singled with one out, and Jake Malec, who walked. Morris made the score 3-0 when Matt Sievert reached on an error.

Proctor went up 4-0 in the second after Derek Dahlgren walked with two outs, stole second, and scored on Tracey's RBI single.

The Agates got on the board with their run in the bottom of the second. Will Peterson led off with a single and three walks in the inning led to him scoring.

John Aase reached on a two-base error with one out in the third and scored on Sievert's RBI single for a 5-1 Proctor lead in the third.

Proctor plated four runs in the fourth, highlighted by Malec's and Bryce Huffman's two-run singles, for a 9-1 edge.

In the fifth, Tracey had an RBI single and Aase connected for a two-run double to conclude the scoring at 13-1.

Tracey was the top hitter as he was 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Dahlgren was 1-for-3 with two runs; Malec was 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI; Morris was 1-for-3 with a triple, a run, and two RBI; Aase was 1-for-4 with a double, two runs, and two RBI; Sievert was 1-for-3 with an RBI; Huffman was 1-for-4 with two RBI; and Nathan Carlson was 2-for-3 with two runs.

Winning pitcher Matt Morris (3-1 W-L, 1.17 ERA) worked four innings and allowed one run on three hits and nine walks. He had six strikeouts. Tracey relieved Morris in the fifth, with two on base and no outs. He pitched an inning in relief, registering a walk and a strikeout.

Rails Notes

Matt Tracey tied the school record for hits in a game, with four on Friday at Two Harbors. He is the 19th known Rails player to accomplish the record and the first since Jimmy Merling had four hits against Two Harbors in 2013…With two hits on Friday, Jake Malec became the sixth player in Rails history to record 70 or more career hits. He now has 71, which is fifth on the all-time list. He surpassed Justin Scanlon (Class of 2011), 70…John Aase cracked the tenth double of his career on Friday. He is the 11th known player in school history to reach double digits in doubles…Jake Malec surpassed Drew Scherber (Class of 2007) for third on Proctor's all-time total bases list. Scherber had 93 and Malec now has 94…With one walk on Friday, Malec also became the seventh known Rails player to reach 40 career bases on balls…Matt Morris became the 11th known Rails pitcher to make 20 or more career appearances. He is now tied for eighth on the all-time list with 20.