News '09: Two Blowouts at Season's End
July 29, 2009
DULUTH -- The Padres' season ended with a 15-1 loss at Oulu on Sunday, and they were downed 20-0 by the St. Croix Ravens on Friday night at Proctor. The team was to conclude the season with a nonleague game at Grand Rapids this Friday, but the host team canceled the game.
The Padres were riding a nice wave following their 5-2 victory at Port Wing on Sunday, July 19, and their tough 11-9 loss to Hibbing at home on Thurs., July 23, but things came crashing down in their final home game of 2009 on Friday. St. Croix had three big innings, scoring six in the second; five in the fifth; and seven in the seventh, but one run would have been enough. Proctor was limited to two hits -- singles by James Ostrander and Chris Musolf -- and made 28 plate appearances in seven innings, which is seven over the minimum. The game was called after seven innings due to the the 10-run rule.
Kyle Cotrell took the loss; he allowed five earned runs in four-and-one-third innings on nine hits and five walks. Dan Solarz and Matt Lloyd combined for one earned run in two-and-two-thirds innings of relief work; Musolf allowed five earned runs on three hits, one walk and two hit batsmen without recording an out. Proctor committed eight errors, which accounted for nine unearned runs.
On Sunday, the team traveled to Oulu for their final league game of the season. Oulu took a two-run lead in the first inning on a home run and scored three more in the second after a dropped fly ball with two outs. Oulu was held scoreless in the third and fourth innings, but chased starting pitcher Anthony Bush by scoring three more runs in the fifth inning. Oulu exploded for seven runs on eight hits and one error in the sixth inning to capture the game early due to the 10-run rule.
This time Proctor managed three hits. Matt Chruscielski hit a solo home run in the sixth inning and Ostrander and Musolf each had singles.
Bush took the loss. He allowed five earned runs in four-and-two-thirds innings on 12 hits and four walks.