Bluejays have good baseball week

Two weeks ago, the head coach of the Three Lakes-Phelps varsity boys baseball team said the team had been making positive strides. This is because even though the club lost three straight games, the young and mostly inexperienced players were starting to find their way on the field and at the plate. The steady progress continued into last week when the Jays split two conference games, and even during the loss, the team showed grit and came close to a late come-from-behind victory.

They ended up losing to the Elcho Hornets 3-2 on Tuesday and then rebounded with a 4-3 extra-inning win on Thursday against Goodman-Pembine. Both games were played against conference rivals in front of large crowds at Don Burnside Park in Three Lakes. After playing six of the first seven games of the season on the road, the Bluejays had back-to-back home games for the first and only time this season.

The Tuesday contest was close throughout, as Cruz Melton of the Bluejays and Joshua Eighmy of the Hornets were battling from the mound, taking turns throwing darts. The two combined for 22 strikeouts. Each pitched into the sixth inning, giving up just a handful of hits, and along the way, Elcho built a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Up to this point, Sawyer Szews was the only member of the Bluejays to make solid contact in the game, going two for three with a walk. Unfortunately for the Jays, he was still four batters away, so there was a lot of pressure on the bottom of the order to find a way to fight back. First up was Isaiah Perlewitz, who reached based on a walk. After Hornets relief pitcher Josh Murphy struck out Charlie Duquaine and Carter Nelson, second baseman Wyatt Gentile-Donner was the last hope for the Bluejays.

As with the other younger players, freshman Gentile-Donner was able to swing away, and he did make contact on a foul ball before eventually walking. Szews then followed with a walk of his own to load the bases with two outs. This brought the potential winning run to the plate, with Sam Koshuta next in the batting order. On a 3-2 count, Perlewitz stole home, and Koshuta walked to refill the bases for Melton.

Anticipation was high from Three Lakes supporters as a base hit by power hitter Melton would likely tie the game. With the bases loaded and two outs, Melton walked on five pitches, allowing Gentile-Donner to score his first varsity run and the second team run of the game. This brought C.J. Forss to the plate with the winning run sitting on second base. Unfortunately for the home team, Forss ended the game by striking out, but the third pitch escaped the catcher, forcing a throw to first base for the official out.

In total, eight Bluejays went to the plate in the final inning, including five after there were two outs. Each at-bat was filled with tension as the game was on the line with each pitch. While the loss was difficult, it was a good game for the struggling squad against a solid Elcho team. Two days later, the Jays would rebound with a 4-3 extra-inning win against another conference opponent, Goodman-Pembine.

The Bluejays have now picked up their second victory of the season and hope to carry momentum into this week against three conference opponents with winning records. After an early game in Crandon this past Tuesday, the team will face Florence on Thursday, May 7, at 5 p.m., then return to Don Burnside Park in Three Lakes on Saturday, May 9, for an 11:00 a.m. start against Laona-Wabeno.