FIELD TWP- A young North Woods baseball team struggling but playing well at times through an 0-5 losing streak finally cashed in its first big win of the season last week, then followed it up with another close victory on Tuesday.
The May 5 road game against Northland was a high-scoring thriller, with North Woods coming from behind to post a 14-11 victory.
The Grizzlies’ last at-bat was decisive, as North Woods entered the top of the seventh trailing 11-8. An RBI double by Louis Panichi got this rolling, and Alex Burckhardt and Panichi each stole home to tie the game. David Kleppe slammed a two-run double for the lead, then added an insurance run by stealing home, shifting the advantage to the Grizzlies 14-11.
Panichi relieved Grizzlies starter Tate Cly in the first inning and was on hand to shut down Northland in the bottom half of the inning for the win. Panichi rang up 11 strikouts while allowing three hits and two earned runs.
Panichi also had the hottest bat for the Grizzlies, going three-for-five at the plate with one RBI. Eli Smith and Mason Ruchasky each tallied two hits and two RBIs.
At Littlefork-Big Falls on Tuesday, Talen Jarshaw and Jake Panichi combined to pitch a no-hitter as the Grizzlies squeaked by 3-1 for their second win.
North Woods went ahead 3-0 in the top of the second. Cly scored from third on a fielding error, Rutchasky scored on a Ben Kruse single, and Jake Panichi drew a bases-loaded walk to score Burckhardt, giving the Grizzlies all the runs they needed for the win. L-BF scored its only run in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder’s choice.
Sandwiched in between the wins was a reminder that the Grizzlies still have plenty of work ahead of them, as Cherry used a big ten-run inning to breeze past North Woods 13-4.