Anoka-Ramsey is becoming very familiar with the North Arkansas lineup. In its first three days of its spring training trip to Harrison, Arkansas, the team lost five consecutive games to this school, the most recent of which came Tuesday afternoon (March 15) 17-7 and 10-9.

Because of a late scheduling shuffle, Anoka-Ramsey was pitted against North Arkansas instead of Lake Region State of Devil's Lake, ND. And like the previous days' games, Anoka-Ramsey did not fare well.

In the first game, it scored five runs in the top of the first inning, but North Arkansas countered with seven runs in the last of the first and extended its advantage to 10-5 by the second. Anoka-Ramsey clawed back to within three runs, 10-7, but faded and lost in six innings via the 10-run rule.

In the second game, Anoka-Ramsey fell behind 6-0 by the end of three innings, but a five-run top-of-the-fourth-inning rally set the tone for an interesting finish.

Designated hitter Mike Zimbeck (Coon Rapids) led off the fourth with a solo home run and right-fielder Brent Tholen (Isanti/St.Francis) capped the rally with a monstrous three-run homer into the student parking lot beyond the left field fence.

After falling behind by a large margin once more, this time 9-5, Anoka-Ramsey fought back to pull within one run again, 9-8, with three runs in the sixth. A game-tying run was scored an inning later — the top of the seventh inning — when Tholen singled home Levi Burke (Elk River).

But just as it had done 11 other times over the years against Anoka-Ramsey, this North Arkansas club did for a 12th time — win the game in its last at-bat — in the last of the seventh. Despite a strong relief performance by freshman Zack Waalen(Somerset), the right-hander could not keep the local team down. Three soft singles in the last of the seventh was just enough to produce a run and another North Arkansas walk-off victory.

For the doubleheader, Anoka Ramsey was led by Tholen who had five hits and four RBI. Tholen's hit total was matched by Mylo Hommes (Elk River), while catcherJustin Reeves (Coon Rapids) finished with four hits and three others produced three hits each — Zimbeck, Joe Lewis (Coon Rapids) and Haven Williams (Osseo). In all, Anoka-Ramsey batters collected 26 hits in addition to the 16 runs it scored.