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Walkoff play enables Northstars to split with Crivitz

NEGAUNEE – The Tri-City Northstars split a Wishigan League adult baseball doubleheader on Saturday against the Crivitz, Wisconsin, Wolves at the Irontown Field in Negaunee.

The Northstars lost the opener 6-4 before bouncing back for a 5-4 walkoff victory in the nightcap.

In the second game, Crivitz scored a first-inning run but Tri-City hurler Preston Hutchens prevented further damage, leaving the bases loaded.

Player-manager James Larsen II scored on an error in the bottom of the inning to tie it 1-1.

The Northstars took a 3-2 lead an inning later on RBI doubles by Barry Hopper and Larsen. Then one of the day’s highlights, Tri-City first base coach Riley Debelak collecting his first Wishigan hit, was dashed when he was reported to have been picked off first base despite a short lead.

Jake Johnson tied it for Crivitz with a solo homer in the fifth, taking a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a Scott Evosovich RBI double.

After Tri-City stranded runners on second and third in the bottom of the sixth, the Northstars pulled off their dramatic win in the bottom of the seventh.

Larsen doubled with one out before Erik Wideman scored him with a single to tie the score 4-4. Wideman took second on a wild pitch and then a nubber down the third-base line was thrown wildly to score Wideman and end the game.

Hutchens struck out seven in going the distance for the win as Larsen was 3 for 3 with a walk at the plate.

In the opener, Tony Zampese also went the distance on the mound for Tri-City, striking out six, while Al Garcia and Evosovich shared pitching duties for Crivitz.

Jake Johnson and Cody Wolf collected RBI singles in the first as the visitors took a 2-0 lead, though Tri-City cut the lead in half when Larsen scampered home on a Wideman single in the bottom of the inning.

After Crivitz scored three times in the second, the Northstars got back to within 5-2 in the third on a CJ Lepisto RBI single.

The home team pulled within a run, 5-4, in the fifth when Grant Johnson and Wideman hit back-to-back solo homers.

Crivitz added a needed insurance run in the sixth on an Evosovich RBI single as Tri-City stranded runners on second and third in the seventh without scoring.

Wideman and Lepisto each had multiple hits for the Northstars.

Tri-City, now 4-4 overall and 2-4 in Wishigan League games, plays next on July 11-12 at the Leo Durocher Memorial Tournament at the Stanton park near Houghton.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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