Mudcats drop championship

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Aug. 9, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

Ryan Longten went 6-for-7 with a double, three home runs and eight RBI to power the Grand Rapids Rebels over the Bemidji Mudcats 27-21 in the Arrowhead League championship Saturday at BSU Diamond.

The Rebels, defending league champions from 1997, came back from 10-4, 15-9 and 19-16 deficits to win its second straight title.

As in most Arrowhead games, the pitching was in short supply as both the Mudcats and Rebels were playing with shortened rosters -- Grand Rapids having no reserves and Bemidji having only two.

From the crack of the first bat, the game looked as if it could be a close duel, with the Rebels blanking the Mudcats in the first.

Grand Rapids broke the scoring drought in the bottom of the first when leadoff batter Longten smacked the first of what would be three homers on the night over the leftfield fence. The Rebels also picked up a second when Bemidji's Jim Carlson bobbled a ball in left, and a run came home.

Bemidji cut the lead to one in the second stanza when Kirk Olson stepped to the plate and knocked his own over the leftfield fence. But, the Rebels extended the lead again with a run of their own.

Trailing 3-1 after two, the Mudcats' bats came alive. They exploded in the third for nine runs on hits with 14 men coming to the plate.

Matt Stevens started the inning off with a double, and he and Dale Ross were brought home by a Carlson dinger to left field. Through the entire inning, Bemidji benefited from several walks, and they forced the lead to 10-4.

In the fourth, both teams traded five runs each, making the score 15-9. Ben Schermerhorn hit an RBI-scoring double, and Ross had a two-RBI triple in the inning for the Mudcats.

Grand Rapids closed the gap to two runs in the fifth, scoring five more of their own, with the Rebels' Eric Simonson capping the inning with a one-out, grand slam over the monster chain-link fence in left field.

The Mudcats tried to salvage their lead, scoring three more in the top of the sixth on an Aaron Allery three-run round-tripper.

Bemidji's defense couldn't hold, however, and the Rebels grabbed two more runs in the bottom of the stanza to keep themselves very much in the game. Both runs came home on Longten's second homer of the evening.

That made the score 19-16 in favor of Bemidji, but the Rebels weren't done nipping at their heels just yet.

Bemidji added a run in the seventh when Gunner Geller reached on a leadoff double, and came home on a Stevens' ground out.

However, that would be the last time Bemidji would enjoy a lead, as the dam broke in the bottom of the inning.

Grand Rapids strung together a nine run inning of its own, forcing Bemidji to bring in its third pitcher of the game and effectively quieting the Mudcats for the night.

Bemidji picked up a meaningless run in the ninth, and the Rebels also added two in the eighth to make the final 27-21.

Ross led the Mudcats in hitting with a 5-for-6 night, a triple and three RBI. Carlson took the loss for Bemidji, pitching two-plus innings, giving up 12 runs on 13 hits. Allery gave up 13 runs on 13 hits to start the game, and Schermerhorn gave up two runs on three hits in relief.

Grand Rapids was led by Longten, but the Rebels third baseman Simons also hit 5-for-6 with three home runs and 11 RBI.

Holum picked up the win for the Rebels, pitching four-plus innings, and giving up six runs on 12 hits.

Bemidji's next action will be in the state class "B" tournament to be held in Chaska.

Bemidji 019 513 101 -- 21 26 3

Grand Rapids 211 552 92X -- 27 29 5

Allery, Carlson (5), Schermerhorn (7) and Olson, Allery

Lane, Longten (3), Holum (4) and Edmonsten

Bemidji: Ross, 5 hits; Allery, 4; Carlson and Schermerhorn, 3; Carlson, Olson, home run

Grand Rapids: Longten, 6 hits; Gustafson, Simonson, 5; Persons, Holum, 4; Longten, Simonson, 3 home runs