Baseball Recap: Pine River-Backus Makes It Three in a Row on the Road

Pine River-Backus came out on top against Crosby-Ironton on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run second inning. The Tigers took their game against the Rangers 11-8. For the Tigers, this counts as revenge for the 5-0 win the Rangers walked away with the last time they faced one another back in April of 2025.

Jonathan Shogren was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. He has become a key player for Pine River-Backus: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-6 otherwise.

In other batting news, Pine River-Backus got a big performance out of Brody Mongan, who went 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple was Mongan's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Dawson Dabill, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.

Pine River-Backus kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.1 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 10.4.

Pine River-Backus' victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-7. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Crosby-Ironton, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-7 record this season.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pine River-Backus will challenge Nevis at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Crosby-Ironton, they will square off against Hinckley-Finlayson at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.