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A late-season regular season tournament has often been a springboard to postseason success for the Ely Timberwolves.
The Wolves are certainly hoping that history repeats itself in 2024.
Mired in a slump that has included three straight defeats, the high school baseball team is looking for a momentum shift during the 11th annual Veterans Memorial Showcase.
Ely has four games in the eight-team event, which started Friday and concludes today at Veterans Memorial Field.
After Friday meetings with Class AA Warroad and Section 7A contender Cherry, the hosts take on both Cook County and International Falls today.
After Monday’s 16-5 loss to defending 7A champion South Ridge, the Wolves are back at the .500 mark at 6-6 an in dire need of a turnaround.
Not much has gone right for the Wolves as of late, who were plagued by fielding miscues while going 0-2 at last Saturday’s Blackduck Tournament, and had trouble finding the strike zone Monday against the Panthers.
In just four innings, Ely pitchers issued 14 free passes, with seven walks and a whopping seven hit batters.
That allowed the Panthers to cruise, as the hosts combined the free opportunities with 10 hits and scored 16 times.
Drew Marolt hit a threerun home run for the Wolves and Caid Chittum had two hits including a two-run single, but that wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with the opposition.
Marolt gave up five earned runs in an inning-and-two thirds of work, while Elliot Levens, Jack Davies and Ben Leeson all followed on the mound.
• The Wolves struggled Saturday in Blackduck, committing eight errors in a 10-3, opening-round loss to Red Lake County.
Ely outhit its opponents 12-5 but still lost in lopsided fashion.
Losing pitcher Brecken Sandberg fanned nine while pitching five-and-one-third innings. He allowed only four hits.
At the plate, senior Deegan Richards had two hits and two runs batted in, while teammates Drew Johnson, Chittum, Marolt and Sam Leeson all had two hits.
In the tournament finale, the Wolves fell 7-6 to Blackduck, despite two hits and two runs scored by Levens.
Owen Marolt had a tworun single and his older brother Drew doubled and scored twice.
On the mound, Owen Marolt was tagged with the loss while giving up two hits and issuing seven walks while pitching into the fourth. Chittum came on in relief.
• A furious final week for the Wolves includes today’s home tilts with Cook County and International Falls, and home meetings with Class AAA Rock Ridge (Wednesday) and AA Two Harbors (Friday).
The Wolves also travel to Mesabi East Monday and International Falls Tuesday.
Ely is likely to have a home game when the 7A tournament begins at home sites on Tuesday, May 28.
