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A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Cloquet Legion player Nick Baker takes a swing at the ball, resulting in a big hit during a Cloquet Legion game against West Duluth earlier this summer.
Carlton's Kayden Crane makes a play at second base and looks to throw to first base for a double play during a Cloquet Legion game against West Duluth earlier this summer.
The Cloquet American Legion baseball team went 1-2 in the District 10 tournament last week, after opening with a 7-2 victory over Hibbing.
Cloquet was the host site this year, with Wade Stadium in Duluth as the secondary site for a District 10 tournament that included Cloquet, Hibbing, West Duluth, Thunder Bay, Hermantown, Grand Rapids, Nisswa, and Duluth Lakeview.
Tim Pokornowski pitched a complete game 5-hitter for the Cloquet win in the opening round of the tournament Wednesday, July 24. Pokornowski struck out six and walked three. Both runs scored by Hibbing were unearned.
"Tim played so well for this year, it was great to have him be able to come back and play with us one more season," said head Legion coach Bruce Baker. "He was a leader on the squad and many of the younger players saw his hard work and dedication and that will carry forward to next year."
Cloquet managed only five hits in the victory but took advantage of four Hibbing errors and eight walks given up by Hibbing in the win. Cloquet took control of the game in the second inning, scoring six runs on three errors, three bases on balls with the only hit in the inning coming from Carlton's Kayden Crane to lead 6-0 after two innings.
Cloquet's seventh run of the contest came in the bottom of the sixth inning - again as a result of three walks in the inning. Zach Tyman paced Cloquet with two of the team's five hits in the game.
With the win in the opening round, Cloquet advanced to face Grand Rapids - the top seed in the district tournament - later Wednesday after Grand Rapids defeated Pequot Lakes in the opening round to advance.
Rapids showed why they had that No. 1 seed, knocking off Cloquet 8-1 in the second-round game, allowing Cloquet just one run on five hits.
Cloquet's lone run came in the top of the fifth inning when Noah Neimi led off with a single. Crane followed that with a base hit moving Neimi to second and a fielder's choice from Zach Tyman moved Neimi to third base. Neimi scored on a Joe Baker single for the lone run of the game for Cloquet. Grand Rapids scored three runs in the first inning and added solo runs in the third and fifth innings; they scored three more times in the sixth to ensure the win.
The loss forced Cloquet into an elimination game against Brainerd, which ended Cloquet's season with a 10-0 shutout victory Thursday. Cloquet managed only one hit in the loss - from Pokornowski, who singled to start the contest in the top of the first inning. Cloquet had just four base runners the entire game, and no runners advanced past first base in the loss.
Lakeview defeated Grand Rapids in the championship game Saturday to advance to the State Legion Tournament July 31-Aug. 4 in Cold Spring, Minn. Lakeview will face Rosetown in the opening round of the tournament.
