by Max Mercy

ST. CLOUD -- Proctor defeated St. Cloud Cathedral, 15-4, in a non-conference baseball game at Dick Putz Field on Saturday, April 22. The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run rule.

The Rails banged out seven doubles, including three in the first inning, out of their 11 hits. John Aase connected for three doubles as he went 3-for-4 with six RBI and two stolen bases.

Aase (2-0 W-L, 2.33 ERA) also was the winning pitcher. He allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in four innings pitched. Reliever Luke Nordquist allowed one unearned run on one hit with one strikeout in one inning pitched.

Nordquist and Bryce Huffman were both 2-for-3 with a double. Huffman had three RBI while Nordquist, Reid Morin, and Blake Koski all had two RBI.

Nordquist got the ball rolling by smacking a double with one out in the top of the first. Aase followed with an RBI double, plating Nordquist. Aase advanced to third on a single by Huffman. Aase and Huffman scored on Koski's two-out double for a 3-0 lead. The three doubles in an inning is tied for fourth in state records, and is tied for first in school records.

Proctor made it 6-0 with a three-run second. Morin walked with one out and was lifted for courtesy runner Ben Harnell, and Nordquist reached on an error before Aase launched a two-run double. Aase stole third and scored on Huffman's sacrifice fly.

Cathedral starting pitcher Rudy Sauerer earned the loss. He worked two innings and allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Brandon Hartung replaced Sauerer to start the third.

Proctor went up 10-0 in the third. Ryan Lear led off with a walk and Matt Johnson was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced a base on Jordan Linder's ground out. Morin then plated the two runners on a double. Harnell again took over for Morin, and he scored on a single by Nordquist. Aase then reached on an error, and Nordquist took third on another error on the play. Nordquist scored Proctor's tenth run on an RBI ground out by Huffman.

Cathedral clawed back with a three-run third. Reggie Deyak singled, Tyler Bautch walked, Sam Hanson's single scored Deyak, James Anderson's double scored Bautch, and Quinton Young's single plated Hanson, all with no outs. Aase worked out of the jam with two strikeouts and a runner caught stealing.

With the score 10-3 after three complete innings, the Rails responded with a five-run fourth inning. Keaton LeClair replaced Hartung to begin the fourth. Koski led off with a walk. He was forced out at second when Lear bounced into a fielder's choice. Linder, Morin (again replaced by Harnell) and Nordquist then all drew walks, with Lear scoring on Nordquist's free pass. Aase then cleared the bases with his third double for his fourth, fifth, and sixth RBIs. Aase's three doubles in a game is tied for sixth in state records. It also tied a school record set by Lucas McCarthy in 2009 and matched by Ian Scherber in 2010. Aase scored Proctor's final run of the game on Huffman's RBI double.

Aase recorded a 1-2-3 fourth inning on the mound, with two strikeouts.

Crusaders reliever Young also had a perfect fifth, with two strikeouts.

Nordquist, on in relief in the fifth, allowed a lead-off double to Bautch, who then scored when Hanson reached on an error. Nordquist then recorded three straight outs to end the game.

Proctor (2-0) is back in action on Monday, April 24, at Virginia at 4:30 p.m.