Prep report: Rock Ridge's depth overwhelms Cloquet
May 8—Rock Ridge had trouble with the top of Cloquet's roster, but their team depth helped them pick up a 5-2 win over the Lumberjacks on Wednesday, May 8 in Cloquet.
Cloquet's No. 1 singles Ethan Lavan won 6-2, 6-0 over Payton Marks and the Lumberjacks' No. 1 doubles team of Ethan Doty and Max Sundquist won 6-4, 7-5, but the Wolverines won the five remaining matches for the win.
Rock Ridge singles players Will Peterson, Gage Benz and Aidan Rabideaux gave up just three games combined in their matches against Cloquet, with the No. 2 doubles team of Dawson Ruedebusch and Aidan Sandnas winning 6-1, 7-5. Tyler Callister and Grady Dimberio didn't lose a game.
That solid play up and down the card is the reason the Wolverines are currently the sixth-ranked team in Class A.
Wolverines coach Jace Friedlieb said the team's depth and experience is what is "showing and shining" this season and it all starts with the leadership of five seniors: Rory Cope-Robinson, Peyton Bialke, Kasey Lamppa, Ruedebusch and Callister.
"They're leading us in our lineup, they've dominated in certain spots and the team just follows their lead," Friedlieb said. "They do good things on and off the court. They've been with us now, they know our expectations and they just do good things every day and people follow them."
All seven matches were competitive but it was the Hawks who came out ahead on Wednesday, May 8.
The Hawks' Ford Skytta topped Vinnie Theisen of Superior 6-1, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, with Jace Christy and Preston McClimek of the Hawks defeating Aaron Moen and Paolo Pagnucci 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles.
Superior's Kevin Phu and Ben Hirvela won 6-4, 7-6 at No. 2 doubles, while the other Spartan point came in the closest match of the day from Jack Mueller, a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 winner at No. 4 singles.
Ewen Moe of East set the tone with a big 6-0, 6-2 win over Hibbing at No. 1 singles, while Thomas Gunderson and Karl Kimber did one better, winning 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles.
The other five matches were closer, with No. 2 singles Colin McShane of East and No. 3 Keaton Petrick of Hibbing winning three-setters.
The Hunters almost got at least one win out of the day on Wednesday.
The Vikings got three of four singles points by wide margins. Jackson Chederquist of Denfeld broke the trend with his win at No. 4 singles. Denfeld won at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, while at No. 1, Connor Doyle and Lenny Jennings pushed the first set to a tiebreaker before getting swept 6-0 in the second.
The Hunters scored six times in the second inning in Grand Rapids and hung on for a one-run win.
All the runs in Wednesday's game were scored by the end of the fourth inning, and the Hunters escaped despite the Thunderhawks putting runs in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings. In the seventh, John Scott got out of trouble by inducing a game-ending 3-6-4 double play.
Nolan Harju went 3-for-5 with an RBI for Denfeld. Dom Broberg was 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Rapids.
Esko got six strong innings from Jackson Peterson for a road win on Wednesday. Peterson allowed one run on two hits in six innings.
Finn Furcht, Dylan Marciulionis and Trent Ondrus had two hits apiece in the win.
Brady Dahl went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored as the Cardinals edged the Rebels on Wednesday, May 8.
Memphis Goranson got a key strikeout for the last out of the game with the tying and winning runs on base to preserve the win.
Reese Bode finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs for MLWR.
Anika Burke had a 4-for-4 day as the Rails as they rolled on the Iron Range. Burke set a tone for the day with a homer in the first inning and had a double in the sixth.
Aubrie Bruce and Brooklynne Patterson shared the pitching duties, each giving up two hits in three innings.
The Wolverines made the most of six hits on Wednesday in Eveleth, as four of them were doubles in a win over the Hawks.
Mattelyn Seppi had a single, a double and two RBIs in the win, which proved sufficient to support pitcher Taylor Morley's complete-game four-hitter. She struck out seven and allowed one run without a walk.
Avery Beranek had a pair of hits for Hermantown.
