Thursday, May 9th, was a pretty nice day. Well, if you didn’t count the cold wind, but when it relented for short periods, it was a beautiful blue sky sunny day. Two Harbors High School was a hot spot for activity that afternoon.
The track was teeming with teams of teens in grades 7-8 from 10 local schools to participate in Two Harbors’ annual junior high meet. An estimated 200 young athletes competed in challenges such as shot put, the high jump, hurdles, relays, lots and lots of races, and disc throwing.
Coaches, student-athletes, and community members all volunteered to organize events, measure, time, direct, and ensure a smooth-running show.
In the distance, I could see the Two Harbors Agates vs. Silver Bay Mariner baseball game had begun. Hopefully they weren’t too bothered by the sounding of the starting gun at the meet. It sure makes me jump every time.
My niece, Isabelle (Hi, Isabelle!), is a 7th grader from Cloquet. I proudly watched her compete in the discus throw and shot put. I walked over to the baseball game to check out the score and ended up missing her running the 400m. She did a great job in all three of her events!
I made it over to the baseball field at a pivotal time in the game. I had missed the top of the 1st, where the Mariners scored 4 runs. I also missed the top of the 2nd when Silver Bay amassed 7 more runs. The Agates got on the board at the bottom of the 2nd.
By the end of the top of the 3rd, the Mariners had nearly doubled their score from the previous inning. When I finally made it to the field, it was the bottom of the 4th inning, and the score was 21-1. My dad and I took a seat on the bleachers as the bases were loaded by Two Harbors.
When Jacob Swardstrom walked, Noah Mecklin scored and the players on the field advanced a base. When Thor Tokvam singled a ground ball, Brenner Quinn made it home. The Agates scored another 2 on an error. Two Harbors was able to bring 7 runs in that innings.
The Mariners added another 3 runs and the game ended in the 5th inning with a final score of 24-8. Despite the lopsided score and all that wind, I enjoyed seeing two of my favorite teams in our area together on the field and watching the game with my dad. As I learn all things baseball, it’s nice to have a brain to pick during the action. Watching my niece compete at the meet with my parents, as well, made it a pleasant way to spend a Thursday afternoon.
