East Ridge baseball: Raptors surging ahead

Beginning with a win over rival Woodbury, East Ridge surged last week to the top of the Suburban East Conference.

The Raptors were locked in a three-way tie atop the conference with Forest Lake and Stillwater as of Sunday at 8-4. Overall, the Raptors are 10-4.

“We’re progressing to where we want to be,” East Ridge coach Brian Sprout said Friday after his team beat White Bear Lake.

Grady Rolando led the way for the Raptors on the pitching mound and at the plate against the Bears. The righthander allowed three earned runs in six innings of work, while striking out two and allowing four hits. Meanwhile, the senior drove in two runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate.

East Ridge junior David Lang also collected two hits and two RBI. John Hiepas, a senior for the Raptors, was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double.

All nine of the Raptors’ runs came in a hit-happy fourth inning. East Ridge sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning, where they recorded eight hits.

The Bears scratched back with two runs in the top of the sixth, but that was as close as they would come.

Sam Motzko came in during the top of the seventh for the Raptors, where he closed out the game with two strikeouts.

The win was the Raptors’ third straight: they beat Hastings 9-4 on May 4 and Woodbury 6-1 on May 2.

This week’s schedule presents more Suburban East foes. The Raptors faced Cretin-Derham Hall Monday and play Mounds View today. They close out the week Friday against Park.

Tags: east ridge, sports, baseball, woodbury, raptors, prep