Cloquet softball team aims high this season

The Cloquet softball team went 16-7 last season and then surprised everyone with a run to the Section 7AAA championship game. The Lumberjacks fell short of a section title when North Branch rallied to defeat Cloquet twice in the double elimination tournament. The Lumberjacks fell short of a section title when North Branch rallied to defeat Cloquet twice in the double elimination tournament.

With only one senior in their starting lineup last year, the 'Jacks start this season with a loaded lineup that should fight for a section title again.

The Lumberjacks were off the radar for the most part, until midway through the season when they began serving notice that they might be a title contender. The team parlayed a walk-off home run against Chisago Lakes and a huge rally against North Branch into an undefeated playoff record until the Vikings came through and bounced them out of the tournament in the championship game. North Branch, a team that was loaded with seniors a year ago, made a run all the way to the state championship game where they lost a tightly played contest with Northfield.

This year Cloquet will feature a strong pitching trio of Lucy Sinkkonen, Josie Steen and Amanda Paul.

"It all starts with pitching and I feel we have three quality pitchers in Lucy, Josie and Amanda," said head coach Ron Tondryk. "Our offense last year was very strong during the first half of the season as we were averaging over 8 1/2 runs per game. We have been working hard this spring to continue that trend. Defensively we are very strong up the middle and very fast in the outfield."

The Lumberjacks need to replace one starter from a year ago, Allie Martin, who played first base and helped provide some power to a lineup ripe with speed.

Behind the plate, the Lumberjacks return both Allie Wojtysiak and Brenna McClarey. Wojtysiak is a senior and McClarey a sophomore. When Wojtysiak went down with an early-season injury, McClarey filled in nicely, giving Coach Tondryk perhaps the best catching tandem in the Northland. Both have strong arms and can throw runners out, both can handle their pitchers with ease and both have quick bats and can hit, plus they both have speed, which is unusual for most catchers.

"In my opinion, another strength of this team is we have two quality catchers in Allie and Brenna," Tondryk said. "Both of them have strong arms with quick releases and are very strong behind the plate."

The infield for Cloquet is an impressive lot with senior Keegan Anderson patrolling third base, Kiana Bender handling the duties at shortstop, and Olivia Diver back for a second season at second base. Cloquet will also add Grace Dushkin back to the mix after she spent a couple of years overcoming injuries. Dushkin will add depth to third base and second base, as well as having the ability to play first base and the outfield. The lone question mark in the infield is who will play first base, but the Lumberjacks have options with Steen, Wojtysiak, Sinkkonen and Lexi Norrgard.

Cloquet's outfield is perhaps one of the fastest in the state as the 'Jacks will look for Shelby Peil to play centerfield for a fourth season in a row. The lightning-fast Dana Jones will start in left; in right field the 'Jacks will look for McClarey, when she isn't catching, and the speedy Brynn Martin to handle duties.

Offensively, the Lumberjacks have a lineup rife with power and speed. On the power side Steen, Wojtyskia, Bender, Paul, Jones, Dushkin and Diver all can hit the ball over the fence. However, the 'Jacks can also play a short game with Jones, Peil, Bender, Wojtysiak, Martin all providing speed.

"I plan on leading off the lineup with Jones, Peil and Bender," Tondryk said. "All of them are lefties and all of them are fast."

Jones and Bender are a rare combination of power and speed and Peil is a slapper who outruns the ball to first base, but can surprise teams if they play in too tight by hitting the ball over their heads. The rest of the lineup has strong right-handed power and could be a lineup to be reckoned with.

"Our goal is to get to the state tournament, and finishing second in the section last season is giving our team high expectations," Tondryk said. "We are ready to get outside and start the season. The whole team and the coaching staff are excited for the year."

With the returning depth and athleticism, the 'Jacks shot at the state tournament this season is a legitimate one.