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NB baseball heads into section playThe North Branch baseball squad continued to play well last week, despite seeing two more notches put in the loss column. The Vikes fell to Cloquet and Chisago Lakes in its final games of the regular season. The team finished with only two wins on the year, but several losses were by only one run. The team faced Rum River Conference leaders Chisago Lakes May 22, falling 10-0. The Wildcats slowly extended its lead by picking up one run in the first and another in the second, and two runs each in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Junior Nick Aaland took the loss on the mound for the Vikings, pitching six strong innings. He also picked up one of North Branchís two hits on the day. A double from Jeremy Anderson was the other hit for the Vikings squad. The North Branch bats were more productive in a close 4-3 loss to Cloquet last week. The Vikes came up with seven hits in the outing, tallying runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings. Cloquet earned the win by breaking a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning, and North Branch was unable to answer it in the bottom of the inning. Senior Mike Delaney struck out 4 in six strong innings for North Branch, taking the loss. Leading the offense was Mike LeVoir, who went 2 for 3 including one double. Aaland, Anderson, Dave Fortier, Marty Savage and Matt Warren all tallied hits for the cause. North Branch started subsection 7AAA play Tuesday, May 27 with a first-round game against Chisago Lakes. The Vikings had a tough challenge ahead of them, coming in as the No. 8 seed and facing the No. 1 seed Wildcats. A win in the first round would put the Vikings into the semifinals Thursday, May 27 against either Forest Lake or St. Francis. ©ECM Post Review |