Orioles hang on in Game 1
The Coastal Steel Orioles jumped out to the early lead and then held on for dear life in Game 1 of the Thunder Bay senior baseball championship series.
Chris Kovac, with a solo home run, and Mike Meany swung for three RBIs apiece and Alex Lagadin allowed six hits in five innings of work as the Orioles defeated the Daytona Dodgers 13-11 at Baseball Central.
The Orioles held a 12-4 lead after five innings only to surrender six runs in the top of the six inning of the seven-inning contest. Kovac’s one-out sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth scored Myles Stevens, who opened the inning with a triple, to make it 13-10. The Dodgers added another run in the seventh.
Meany went 3-for-3 at the plate and Robert Shedden posted two hits for the No. 1 seed Orioles.
A.J. Kresack hit a two-run single (one of his three hits on the night) with the bases loaded during the Dodgers’ six-run rally. Brad Crocker’s double later that inning added three more runs.
Adam Josefchak took the loss by allowing eight hits and 10 runs (all earned).
Game 2 of the best-of-seven final will be played Tuesday at Baseball Central.
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SIJHL exhibition season ends with Wilderness win
Mike MacKinnon scored two goals and the Minnesota Wilderness defeated the Fort Frances Lakers 6-1 in Superior International Junior Hockey League exhibition action on Sunday in Cloquet, Minn.
Jeremy Johnson, Brian Drapluk, Peter Barrell and Joseph Drapluk also scored for the Wilderness, the two-time defending SIJHL champions who used to play out of Wisconsin. JoJo Jeanetta made 23 saves in net to collect the win.
Mason Meyer scored the Lakers’ lone goal.
Sunday’s game marked the end of the exhibition season for the league, which kicks off the regular season schedule on Friday with a trio of games. One of those contests feature the Thunder Bay North Stars visiting the Iron Range Rangers. The North Stars and Rangers were the only teams not to play any exhibition games.