by Max Mercy

NASHWAUK, Minn. -- Proctor defeated Moose Lake-Willow River, 11-1, in six innings at Nashwauk to stay alive in the Section 7AA Playoffs. Paul Hegstrom earned a complete-game win by throwing a three-hitter with three walks, two hit batsmen, and three strikeouts.

ML-WR scored in the top of the first inning when Brad Fossum was hit by a pitch, advanced two bases on two wild pitches, and scored on a ground out.

Tanner Haedrich, the courtesy runner for Hegstrom, scored on an error for Proctor's first run in the second inning. Jack Nikko also scored in the inning, on Isaac Scherber's RBI single. Proctor added four runs in the third on four hits, three errors, one walk, and one sacrifice fly. The Rails scored one run each in the fourth and fifth innings, and Nikko's sacrifice fly scored Evan Scherber, who had hit a two-run single, in the sixth to end the game due to the 10-run rule.

Jimmy Merling was 2-for-3 with three runs and two stolen bases. He became the first player in the history of Proctor High School baseball to surpass 100 career hits.

Evan Scherber was 1-for-1 with three RBIs. Hegstrom was 3-for-4. Nikko was 3-for-3 with three runs, an RBI, and two stolen bases. Shane Gould was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Proctor advanced to play against Mora, also at Nashwauk.