by Max Mercy

ASHLAND -- Jesse Olson threw a two-hit shutout as the Duluth Padres defeated the Ashland Lumberjacks 4-0 in the second game of an Upper 13 League doubleheader at LumberJack Field on the Northland College campus. Olson (2-6, 5.26 ERA) had five strikeouts and one walk. Ashland won the first game, 10-6.

In the second game, Duluth scored a run in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Bob Baxton. The Padres added two insurance runs in the fifth when Nick Moran walked with the bases loaded and Tim Nylund was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Duluth scored another run in the sixth when Greg Schullo walked with the bases loaded. Schullo, Moran, Nylund, and Corey Pavlich had Duluth's four hits. John Sopiwnik was the losing pitcher. He allowed four runs on three hits, six walks, and two hit batsmen in five innings.

Ashland jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first game only to see Duluth score five runs in the fourth inning to make the score 7-6. Ashland scored three more in the fifth to pull away again in a game marred by six Duluth errors. Anthony Bush (4-4, 4.56 ERA) was saddled with the loss. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits and two walks with one strikeout in four innings. Olson allowed one run on three hits in two innings of relief. Although Duluth took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by Moran, Ashland capitalized on three Duluth errors to take a 3-1 lead after one inning. Two errors led to another Ashland run in the second, and the Lumberjacks scored three runs in the third on three hits and a walk to lead 7-1. Duluth rallied for five runs on eight hits and one error in the fourth, but had two runners thrown out at the plate in the inning.

Brandon Bodart earned the win. He allowed four earned runs on nine hits and two walks in a complete game effort. John Sopiwnik and Blaise Sopiwnik had three hits each for Ashland. Pavlich had two hits for Duluth.

Duluth is now 6-3 in league play and 8-13 overall. The Lumberjacks are now 6-5 in the Upper 13 League.