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After a brief lull, caused in part by wet weather, the Ely Timberwolves are about to get busy.
Very busy.
Starting with today’s road tilt at Cook County, the high school baseball team will play nine games in the next two weeks.
It’s a make-or-break stretch for the Wolves, who are 4-3 overall and hoping to join defending champion South Ridge, powerful Cherry and surprising Silver Bay in the upper echelon of Section 7A.
Those three rivals joined the Wolves in the final four of the 7A playoffs a year ago, but Ely may have some work to do to get back there again this season.
Ely has struggled both at the plate and in the field for stretches of the young season, but things seemed to come together April 25 at Deer River, where the Wolves prevailed 13-3 in five innings.
Senior Drew Marolt went the distance on the way to his first win of the season.
He worked all five frames, gave up only four hits and recorded nine strikeouts.
Marolt was coming off a tough-luck performance at Kenyon-Wanamingo, where he left after six no-hit innings but got a no decision.
The righthander walked five in the victory, Marolt was backed by plenty of run support, with junior shortstop Caid Chittum scoring three times and delivering two hits.
Senior Elliot Levens knocked in a team-high four runs on two hits including a double, and classmate Deegan Richards finished with three runs batted in.
Ben Leeson, a junior, was behind the dish at catcher and also had two hits with two runs scored.
Sophomore Drew Johnson also scored three runs and freshman Stig Majerus came off the bench to deliver a tworun single.
• The Wolves have home games Tuesday (Mesabi East) and Thursday (Chisholm), both starting at 4:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Field.
On the horizon is the annual Veterans Memorial Showcase, which is set for May 17-18 and will include nine games in Ely as well as contests at Soudan and Rock Ridge.
The Wolves will meet Warroad, Cherry and perhaps Mille Lacs during the event.
