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After four-game split with Itasca, Vermilion hosts Rainy River
The Vermilion Ironhawks are heading into their most critical series of the year with some momentum.
Twice in as many days, the community college baseball team stunned division-leading Itasca with late-inning rallies and earned a split of the four-game series.
That sets the stage for another four-game set, this time with Rainy River, which includes Saturday’s twinbill in Ely and two more contests Sunday at International Falls. The series is pivotal for Vermilion, which likely needs three wins to keep its playoff hopes alive.
“Two might mathematically keep us in it, but winning the series is really what we need to do,” said Vermilion Head Coach Tom Coombe. “There are five teams in the running for three spots and we’re at a point now where we have to rattle off some wins to stay alive.”
Vermilion (15-18) stayed in the race with a couple of comebacks against Itasca (18-14).
The Ironhawks scored three times in the bottom of the seventh, with Chris Arambula doubling in the tying run and DeSoto Hood drawing a bases-loaded walk to win the contest 6-5.
Itasca rebounded to win Saturday’s nightcap 13-5 and Sunday’s opener 11-0, but Vermilion regained momentum in the series finale, held at Grand Rapids’ Bob Streetar Field.
Hood’s two-run single closed the gap to 8-7 in the top of the sixth, but Itasca countered with a run to make it 9-7.
Vermilion would not be denied as Marcus Haire doubled, Chase Snyder walked and Charlie Spahn beat out an infield single to load the bases.
Haire scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-8, and Nick Berglund tied the game on a groundout.
Spahn scooted home on another wild pitch and Arambula set down the Vikings in the bottom of the seventh to earn his first collegiate win on the mound.
Arambula went two innings and didn’t give up a run, while Haire came back after starting the day before to log two innings-plus, yielding only one run.
“Our bullpen saved us,” said Coombe. “We were down to few options and Marcus kept us close and Chris closed it up. Chris also made a couple of big defensive plays on bunts that helped win it for us.”
Spahn, Berglund and Haire all had two hits for Vermilion, while Hood knocked in three runs to raise his season total to 34, tops in the Northern Division.
In the opening game, Itasca scored seven runs in the bottom of the third and rolled to an easy win.
Vermilion was held to four hits by winning pitcher Kole Paulsen, while sophomore Kelbee Woodham was tagged with the loss for the Ironhawks.
Saturday, Jake Casazza hit a two-run home run, Will Thibodeau had two hits with two runs batted in, and Arambula was two-for-two for the Ironhawks.
Freshman pitcher Jerron Turney of Haxtun, CO, got the victory, working two and two-thirds innings of relief in place of Haire. He gave up two hits.
Spahn had a three-run home run in the nightcap, but Itasca pulled away late and scored five times in the last two innings to put things away.
The Vikings hit four home runs.
• In addition to Saturday’s home doubleheader with Rainy River, the Ironhawks will also be at home Tuesday for nonconference action against Anoka-Ramsey, with a twinbill starting at 2 p.m.
