Baseball

      The 2025 baseball season came to an end for the Aitkin Gobblers Thursday with two losses in the Section 7AA tournament. They entered the day unbeaten in the tourney but suffered a 4-2 loss to Duluth Marshall and then dropped a 7-3 decision to Pequot Lakes, ending their season. Aitkin fell behind early against the Patriots who scored twice in the first. The Gobblers made it 2-1 in their half of the first after Nolan Dotzler was hit by a pitch, and John Pelarski doubled. The Patriots got two more in the third and three more in the fourth to lead 7-1. That score held until the Gobblers got two runs in the seventh. Braxton Huse, Dotzler and Pelarski all singled and Aitkin got the running game going and that plated a pair of runs. Pelarski was 2-3 with a run batted in and Dotzler, Brandon Kunz, Bo Sanford and Huse all had one hit in the game. Hunter Moreland started for Aitkin and went 2 2/3 innings giving up four runs, three of them earned and walked one hitter. Andy Hanson pitched 1 1/3, striking out one and Kunz went the final three innings. The Gobblers finish the season with a record of 16-7.
Patriots     7  12  0
Gobblers  3   6  2
WP Gus Bolz-Andolshek
LP Hunter Moreland
     The Gobblers took on Duluth Marshall Thursday in the unbeaten game of the Section 7AA tournament and the 'Toppers won a close game 4-2. Aitkin out hit their opponents 7-5 but couldn't get key hits when they needed them to get back in the game. The 'Toppers took a 2-0 lead in the second. After two were out they loaded the bases and starter Drew Paulbeck had control problems and walked two runs in. They made it 3-0 in the third and it took until the 5th inning before Aitkin could bite into their lead. Cole Trotter doubled and later scored on a single by Jack Setzer. Duluth Marshall scored in the 5th for a 4-1 lead and the Gobblers made it 4-2 in the 6th as John Pelarski and Paulbeck singled and Jake McGuire knocked a run in with a double. Aitkin put two on in the 7th, but a strikeout ended the game. Paulbeck went the distance giving up four runs, all earned while walking 5 and striking out 3. Pelarski was 2-4, McGuire had a hit and one run batted in and Setzer was 1-3 with a run driven home.
Gobblers  2 7 0
'Toppers   4 5 1
WP Owen Marsolek
LP Drew Paulbeck. 

      Jake McGuire went the distance and Drew Paulbeck and Owen Spolarich knocked in runs as the Aitkin Gobblers beat the Rush City Tigers 2-0. sending Aitkin to the semi-finals of Section 7AA Thursday. Aitkin got a run in the first on singles by Nolan Dotzler and John Pelarski and a base-hit from Paulbeck. It stayed 1-0 until the sixth when Spolarich knocked in McGuire who had slapped a double leading off the inning. McGuire meanwhile was staying busy setting down the Tigers. He gave up just four hits, walked three and struck out seven. Dotzler, Pelarski, Paulbeck, McGuire, Cole Trotter and Spolarich each had one hit in the game.
Tigers       0 4 1
Gobblers 2 6 0
WP Jake McGuire
LP Noah Pace
     The Gobblers opened the day by white-washing Milaca 15-0. Aitkin had a 9-0 lead after two innings and raced off to the victory. Five runs in the first got them started. Nolan Dotzler reached on an error, John Pelarski walked, Drew Paulbeck hit into a fielder's choice scoring one run. Cole Trotter singled for two more, Bo Sanford singled for a run and Braxton Huse singled for the final run. Four more runs in the second made it 9-0. Pelarski walked, Paulbeck singled, Jake McGuire walked, Trotter bounced into a fielders choice for a run, a passed ball scored another, and another wild pitch and passed ball scored two more. Four more runs in the third made it 13-0. Dotzler reached on an error, Pelarski walked, McGuire singled for a run, Noah Janzen singled for a run, Jack Setzer got a run home with a groundball and Bo Sanford hit a sacrifice fly for the last run of the inning. The Gobblers got the final two runs in the fourth as Dotzler again reached on an error, and came around on a bad throw, Pelarski tripled and McGuire plated him with a sacrifice fly. Pelarski scored three times and had one hit as did Paulbeck, McGuire, Trotter, Janzen, Sanford and Braxton Huse. Paulbeck went three innings, fanned 5 and walked just one. Brandon Kunz went the final two innings, striking out 2 and walking just one hitter.
Wolves      0 1  5
Gobblers 15 7 0
WP Drew Paulbeck
LP B. Mehreth

      Jake McGuire pitched four innings of four hit ball and added a 1-3 day at the plate, driving in three runs as the Gobblers completed their regular season at 14-5 with a 10-0 shutout of C-I at Woock Field Friday. McGuire fanned four hitters while Andy Hanson pitched the fifth, striking out two hitters. Aitkin grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first. Nolan Dotzler doubled, Drew Paulbeck walked, McGuire reached on a fielders choice and Cole Trotter reached on an error while two runs scored. Jack Setzer then singled for the third run of the inning. Six runs in the 4th put the game away. Trotter singled, Setzer singled and Hunter Moreland followed that with a single loading the bases. Jack Jacobson walked for a run, Dotzler hit a sacrifice fly for another, John Pelarski singled for a run and later McGuire cleared the bases with a double. Aitkin closed the game in the 5th as Brandon Kunz walked, Kyler Rikala doubled, and Jacobson singled to center ending the game. 

Rangers     0  4 3

Gobbletrs 10 10 0

WP Jake McGuire

LP Creide Gressman

       The Gobbler JV finished the season with a 15-5 win over the Rangers. Coach Nathan Ehnstrom on the game, "The first six batters for Aitkin scored in the first inning. We added 2 in the second, 3 in the third, 2 in the fifth and walked off for the ten-run rule with Aiden Flanagan hitting a single to left that scored Karson Hopperstad." Adam Martinson threw 3 innings, gave up 2 runs, walked 4 and struck out 3. Owen Foday threw 2 innings, 2 runs, and 2 walks. Levi Paulbeck pitched one inning and struck out 3 hitters. Martinson was 1-1 with a single and scored three times. Hopperstad was 2-2 with 2 singles and Andy Hanson was 2-2 with a pair of singles.

Rangers        5  4 0

Gobblers     15 13 0

******The Aitkin Color Guard was at Friday's game as always to present the colors before the game.

      The Aitkin Gobblers picked up a big GRC win Thursday as they dropped the Rush City Tigers 9-1 at Woock Field. The victory gives the Gobblers a 13-5 record with just C-I at home on the remaining schedule, that game to be played tomorrow. Aitkin got out to a 2-0 lead in the second. Cole Trotter singled and stole second and came home on a base hit by Jack Setzer. Nolan Dotzler singled later in the inning for the second run. They made it 6-0 in the third. Jake McGuire opened the inning with a single. Trotter reached on an error, and Noah Janzen was hit by a pitch. Bo Sanford was plunked, scoring one run, Dotzler singled for another, and a pair of wild pitches scored two more runs. One run in the fourth made it 7-0. Drew Paulbeck singled, McGuire walked, and a passed ball scored a run. Aitkin made it 9-0 in the fifth. Braxton Huse singled and stole second. John Pelarski singled for one run and Paulbeck doubled for another. Dotzler, Pelarski and Paulbeck all had two hits for Aitkin. Paulbeck went the first six innings and Brandon Kunz pitched the final inning, striking out two hitters.

Tigers        1  2  2

Gobblers 9 10 0

WP Drew Paulbeck

LP Nathan Pace

      The Gobbler JV team scored a 12-2 victory over Rush City. Andy Hanson pitched one inning, striking out 3, Noah Farrell went one inning, fanning two. Quintin Christy went two innings and struck out 4, and Tyler Boyd went one inning and had one strikeout. Adam Martinson was 2-2 with a double and a single. Jack Jacobson was 1-1 with a pair of runs batted in. Noelan Jones was 1-1 with two runs batted in, Karson Hopperstad was 1-1 with two runs batted in and Hanson was 1-2 with one run batted in.

Tigers        2 2 0

Gobblers 12 8 0

     The Aitkin JH Gobblers were at Pine River-Backus Thursday. The 7th grade tied 3-3 and the 8th grade won 15-5. Pitchers for the 8th grade Gobblers included Aydan Wendt, Jordan Goeritz, Nolan Aspelin, Alex Martinson and Quinn Rikala. Coach Tom Sanbeck on the offense, "We hit the ball well tonight with Jayden Janzen having the big hit, a grand slam. We also played pretty solid defense."

    The Aitkin Gobblers used three homeruns and a complete game pitching performance from Hunter Moreland to beat the Hinckley-Finlayson Jaguars 9-2 Wednesday at Woock Field. Jake McGuire, Cole Trotter and Jack Setzer all provided the long ball, and the Gobblers got six runs in the first inning to coast to the win. The big first inning started with a double by John Pelarski. Drew Paulbeck walked, and McGuire blasted a shot over the left field fence for a 3-0 lead. Trotter singled, stole second and came home on a single by Noah Janzen. Setzer singled, Bo Sanford singled, Braxton Huse walked for a run and Nolan Dotzler singled for the final run of the inning. A homerun by Kellen Von Rueden made it 6-1 and the Jaguars scored again in the third to make it 6-2. Aitkin scored three times in the fourth. McGuire singled and Trotter homered to center. Later in the inning Setzer hit the Gobblers third homer of the game to make the final 9-2. Dotzler, McGuire, Trotter, Setzer and Huse all had two hits in the game. Meanwhile Moreland was mowing the Jaguars down, walking just one and striking out seven. He threw 85 pitches, 59 for strikes. Aitkin moves to 12-5.

Jaguars   2  5 0

Gobblers 9 14 0

WP Hunter Moreland

LP Ty Westrum

     The Aitkin Gobblers broke open a 7-7 game with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to pick up a 14-7 home win over the Mesabi Giants Monday. The win moves the Gobblers to 11-5 on the season. Aitkin took a 4-0 lead after the first. Nolan Dotzler walked, John Pelarski singled, Drew Paulbeck walked and Cole Trotter bounced into a fielders choice that ultimately scored two runs. Noah Janzen singled for a run and another error scored the fourth run of the inning. The Giants scored twice in their half of the second but the Gobblers made it 5-2 in their half. Dotzler singled, Pelarski was hit by a pitch, both stole a base and Paulbeck hit a sacrifice fly. Two runs by the Giants made it 5-4 in the fifth but Aitkin scored twice to up the score to 7-4. Hunter Moreland walked, Karson Hopperstad reached on an error, Dotzler reached on another error that scored a run, Paulbeck singled and steals produced the second run. Mesabi East tied it with three runs in the sixth, but the Gobblers came back with a vengeance to put the game out of reach in their half of the inning. Cole Trotter singled, Janzen reached on an error, Moreland put down a sacrifice bunt, Setzer singled for two runs, Dotzler reached on another error, Pelarski singled for two runs, Jake McGuire brought in two more with a single and Trotter tripled for the final run. Dotzler started and went 4 1/3, gave up just one earned run, walked 3 and struck out 3. Brandon Kunz came on to go the final 2 2/3, walked 4 and struck out 5 to pick up the win. Setzer drove in three runs for the Gobblers while Pelarski and Trotter both knocked in a pair.

Giants        7  7 6

Gobblers 14 12 3

WP Brandon Kunz

LP Landon Mathison

       The Gobbler JV got three innings in before the rain hit with Aitkin ahead 5-4. Jack Jacobson pitched 2 innings, gave up four runs on just one hit, walked four and struck out four. Noah Farrell pitched one inning and struck out the side. Owen Spolarich had 2 singles and 3 runs batted in. Jacobson worked two walks, stole second both times and scored two runs. Adam Martinson added an rbi double.