High School Baseball Roundup: Aitkin, Laporte, and Staples-Motley in Action on May 2
In a thrilling matchup on Thursday, May 2, the Aitkin Gobblers secured a 3-0 victory over the Fridley Tigers, thanks to a stellar performance by pitcher Drew Paulbeck. Paulbeck pitched a complete game shutout, striking out an impressive 13 batters to lead his team to victory. Aitkin’s Nolan Dotzler also had a standout game, finishing 2-for-3 with two doubles, while Jake McGuire and Hunter Moreland each contributed two hits to the team’s success.
With this win, Aitkin improved their record to 4-2 and will be looking to carry this momentum into their next game against Hinckley-Finlayson on Saturday, May 4 at 12:30 p.m.
In another exciting game, the Pine River-Backus Tigers faced off against the Laporte Wildcats in a Northland Conference matchup. Despite a strong performance from Chance Abraham, who went 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBI, Pine River-Backus fell short, losing 5-4 to Laporte. Konnor King took the loss for PRB, giving up four earned runs and striking out six in five innings.
The Staples-Motley Cardinals also had a tough outing, falling 8-2 to the Hawley Nuggets in a non-conference game. Alex Schultz and Griffin Bettis both doubled for S-M, with Cooper Tappe and Elijah Kossan adding hits as well. The Cardinals, now 6-2 overall, will look to bounce back in their next game against Osakis on Friday, May 3 at 4:30 p.m.
Stay tuned for more exciting high school baseball action as these teams continue to battle it out on the diamond.