Homers ignite baseball team

The Baseball Raiders of Central Lakes College swept Minnesota West in tennis-like scores, 6-2 and 6-4, Tuesday at Findorff Athletic Complex. In the opener, freshman Jared Hoemberg (shown), former Bertha-Hewitt standout, and Peter Lucken, a Melrose sophomore, hit home runs and combined to drive in three of the Raiders’ six runs. Dustin Motschenbacher pitched his first win. Josh Edward shit a two-run double. The Raiders rallied to win the nightcap, as they trailed going into the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Johnny Egan hit a sacrifice fly followed by consecutive RBI singles by Hunter Young, Tyler Lenz and Trey Thompson to clinch their third conference win. Thompson added a double and pitched the win. Division: CLC 2-2. Overall: 6-28. Next: Ridgewater at CLC 2 p.m. today (2), weather-permitting.

Five-game win streak

CLOQUET — Kaylie Hanson tripled in Game One and doubled in Game Two to lead the Central Lakes College softball team to a sweep of Fond Du Lac in a Northern Division doubleheader Tuesday. CLC is enjoying a five-game win streak. The Raiders won the first game, 12-3, as they pounded out 16 hits. Alanna Hansen and Carlie Sweet each doubled while Lena Montano and Hanson tripled. Hansen also capped off her offensive effort with a home run. In the 12-4 Game Two win, the Raiders managed 15 hits. Hanson doubled and hurler Sam Harting notched her second win of the day. The Raiders moved to 8-6 in division play. Overall: 9-12. Next: CLC vs. Northland at Thief River Falls 3 p.m. Friday (2).

Three big wins

Carlie Sweet (shown) went 3-for-6 with a double and 250-foot grand slam in a 20-4 Raider softball rout of Vermilion Sunday at Findorff Field on the Central Lakes College campus in Brainerd. “It was the longest (softball) home run I’ve ever seen,” said CLC Coach Greg Medeck. Six CLC players contributed extra base hits and Jenni Smolke added four RBIs for the Raiders. Samantha Harting pitched a complete game for CLC, allowing four earned runs off of 10 hits, while striking out five and walking five. Foul weather forced cancellation of the second game Sunday. Division: CLC 5-6. Overall: CLC 6-12 . Next: Tuesday at Fon Du Lac (Cloquet), 3 p.m.

Raiders sweep Mesabi Range

Nine players contributed extra-base hits as CLC smacked Mesabi Range 18-5 and 19-3 in a Northern Division doubleheader at Virginia Saturday. Alanna Hansen and Hayley Hornick both hit home runs for the Raiders, and Becca Anderson pounded out four hits in the first game and three in the second. Hayley, Alanna, and Kaylie Hanson each notched two doubles for the Raiders in the second game

Yellowjackets sting

Josh Edwards (shown) notched the only two hits for our baseball Raiders in a 5-1 loss to the Rochester Yellowjackets Saturday in Rochester. CLC also dropped the second game, an extra-inning 5-4 heart-breaker to a quality team. The two teams were tied 2-2 at the end of the seventh inning. Derek Pihlaja and Trey Thompson both notched RBI singles in the eighth to help the Raiders to a 4-2 lead before Ryan Lester of RCTC sealed the game with his RBI single. CLC’s lone run in the first game came off a sacrifice fly from Tyler Lenz. Sunday's scheduled twinbill vs. Minnesota West was postponed and is re-set for 2 p.m. Tuesday at Findorff Field. Division: CLC 0-4. Overall: CLC 4-28. CLC also hosts Ridgewater for a pair at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

St. John's sweeps

COLLEGEVILLE — Joe Gaida was 1-3 with an RBI for the Raiders baseball team as they were defeated 3-1 by the St. John’s University junior varsity in the opening game of a doubleheader Wednesday. Bryan Yackley only walked one batter and struck out 3. Tyler Lenz (shown), who went 3 for 5 with an RBI, Dustin Motschenbacher (2 for 4), and Jaron Hanson with an RBI were bright spots in the second game, a 5-4 loss. “We had a lead late in the game but couldn't hold it, and we left 10 men on base,” said Coach Pat Held. Overall: CLC 4-26. Next: Central Lakes at Rochester 1 p.m. Saturday (2).

Rainy sweeps Raiders

Alanna Hansen went 1-3 with two RBI for the Raiders softball team in the first game of a Northern Division doubleheader, a 4-3 loss to Rainy River, Wednesday at CLC. Carlie Sweet was 1-3 and added and RBI for CLC. Kaylie Hanson went 1-4 with two RBIs in the nightcap, a 10-6 loss. Nicole Marcy was 2-3 with an RBI. Sam Harting pitched two complete games for the Raiders, striking out three and walking four in each game. Division: CLC 2-6. Overall: CLC 3-12. Next: at Mesabi Range noon Saturday (2).

First-team All-American

Maurice Hernandez, a sophomore from St. Paul, is the first men's basketball player from Central Lakes College to receive first team All-American honors. Mo was the leading scorer on the CLC team that finished fourth in the NJCAA Division III tournament. The Raiders were 29-4 this season and captured the Southern Division regular-season title as well as the state and regional championships. Mo averaged 17.3 points per game, shot 52 percent from the field, and averaged nearly 8 rebounds per game while earning All-State and All-Division honors. He is a 6-4 forward who earned credentials as a hard-nosed athlete with deceptive quickness when helping his Henry Sibley High School team to state runner-up honors. He is the only Minnesota player named to the five-soph team. Vermilion's Taylor Smaller, also a sophomore, was a third team pick.