Undefeated Mariners Knock It Out of the Park
The Silver Bay Mariner varsity baseball team is undefeated this season, winning 6 out of 6 games so far and showing they are one to watch this year. The impressive streak began on April 5th, when the team took on Chisolm at Mesabi High School. The final score of that game was 10-7 and the win sparked a momentum that has continued to roll on for Silver Bay.
On April 18th, Silver Bay hosted another local team, the Cook County Vikings. They took the win that day with a final score of 10-5. The next day, they beat North Woods 11-6.
According to mnbaseballhub.com, at the time of this writing, Silver Bay is 3rd in their league rankings. Barnum is at the top of the list, having won the 3 league games they’ve played so far. They are 3-3-0 overall. Silver Bay has only played 2 league games. Esko lies between the two teams in the standings, just as it does logistically. They are undefeated after 7 games and have played 2 league games, as well.
The Mariners will travel to McGregor for their next game on May 2nd. They will host South Ridge on the 7th and come to visit Two Harbors on the 9th. I’m sure it will be a fun game to watch.
Two Harbors Agates Looking to Turn Things Around
The Agates varsity baseball team has faced a challenging stretch of games since last reported in the North Shore Journal. After losing one and winning won against Cook County in a doubleheader on April 11th, the Two Harbors Agates baseball team has been struggling to find their footing.
On April 22nd, Proctor crushed the Agates with a final score of 0-17. This defeat was followed by another heavy loss on April 24th when the team hosted the Rock Ridge Wolverines. Again, their rivals were able to grab 17 runs against the Agates. The final score was 3-17, after just 5 innings. Watching the game via the Game Changer app, it appeared Rock Ridge had a very aggressive offense as evidenced by the number of bases they were able to steal.
Despite the tough outcome, standout performances were noted from players like Garren Tikkanen, who recorded an impressive 7 strikeouts and contributed offensively when he drove a run in for the team.
Two Harbors would play the Barnum Bombers in a subsequent game, putting on a stronger fight but ultimately falling short. The score was 0-4 by the 5th inning but the Agates rallied and were able to score 3 in the 7th, losing by a narrow margin.
Cook County Vikings Navigate Season Setbacks
Experiencing a similar downturn, the Cook County varsity baseball team needs a boost. Facing opponents Barnum, Silver Bay, and Southridge, the Vikings have encountered many challenges throughout April.
On April 16th, the Bombers delivered a decisive victory against Cook County with a score of 13-3. The Vikings lost to the Mariners two days later. The score was 5-10. When playing South Ridge on the 23rd, the Panthers scored 9 runs to the Viking’s 4.
The Vikings are set to play Carlton/Wrenshall on the 29th and start out May against Cromwell/Wright then Ely. Cook County is sitting at 9th in the Polar League standing over 10th place McGregor, who has yet to win a game this season.
Mariners Softball Continues Sizzling Streak
Last week, Coach Mike Guzzo told me that Silver Bay has a high bar for their softball program. “We generally put a pretty good team on the field,” he said. He sure wasn’t kidding. This year’s Mariner softball team is doing pretty well, indeed.
Since last reported, they’ve contributed to their impressive winning streak that started during their second game of the season against Mountain Iron-Buhl. Not only did they win the next three games, but they also dominated in every one of them.
Playing at Floodwood on April 23rd, the Mariners took the game easily with a final score of 17-2. They then met up with South Ridge, in Silver Bay, on April 25th. The team won that one, too, with a score of 16-3. They allowed no runs for the East Central Eagles on April 26th, winning 15-0 in an amazing shutout that was also played in Silver Bay.
The Polar League standings on mnsoftballhub.com look familiar. Just as their school’s baseball team lies third behind Barnum and Esko, so does Silver Bay’s softball team. They are poised to move up, as their overall record is the best on the board. Being 8-1-0 will be pretty intimidating for McGregor and Cherry, who the Mariners are facing next in the first week of May.
Agates Face Ups and Downs
The Two Harbors Agates varsity softball team started the season with tough losses to Proctor, Esko, Moose Lake/Willow River, and Silver Bay. However, despite their rocky start, the team showed their resilience by securing a 17-1 win against Duluth Marshall on April 22nd.
However, the following losses to Carlton/ Wrenshall (0-9) on April 23rd and Barnum (5-9) on April 25th have presented new challenges for the Agates.
The April 26th game against Ely was postponed, as well as the April 29th game against Pine City, which has left the Agates eager to bounce back against their oncoming rivals. They will play away at Cromwell/Wright on May 6th and then Silver Bay on the 7th at Two Harbors High School.
The Agates are currently 3-6-0 overall.
Cook County Captures First Win of Season
After a 4-game losing streak against Two Harbors (twice), Barnum and South Ridge, the Vikings varsity softball team secured a win against East Central in a close match. The final score was 10-9. Hoping that this is the turnaround point, Cook County will look to take on Floodwood on the 30th. Their matchup with Silver Bay on the 29th was cancelled.
The Floodwood Polar Bears are just one place above the Vikings in the Polar League rankings with a 2-2-0 overall record.
I wish the best of luck to all teams as they slide into May!
