Sophomore second baseman Nick Knoche’s (St. Bernard’s) shot down the right field line proved to be one of the season’s biggest and on a cold Thursday afternoon — the 21st day of April — helped deliver a doubleheader split for Anoka Ramsey with Southern Division rival Riverland College.

Knoche, Anoka Ramsey’s leading hitter coming into the doubleheader, was 0-for-3 prior to his turn at the plate in the last of the seventh inning with one out and runners on second and third. Down 5-0 at one point in the game, Anoka Ramsey had clawed back to within a run when Knoche, a lanky athlete who formerly was a hockey goaltender, ripped the ball over the first base bag down the chalk in right.

The hit easily scored pinch-runner Trevor “Bo” Daniels (Coon Rapids) from third with the tying run and catcher Travis Norman (Denfeld) with the game-winning run in a 6-5 Anoka Ramsey victory.

It also gave freshman Dallas Edeburn (Blaine), who had come in relief of starter Jared Carlson (Maranatha) in the seventh,  his first collegiate pitching win. Edeburn worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam to keep Anoka Ramsey close in the top half of the seventh, 5-3.

Anoka Ramsey trailed most of the game — 2-0 from the first through the top of the sixth — at which time Riverland added three more for its biggest advantage, 5-0. In the last of the sixth, however, consecutive run-scoring singles by Sam Blevins (Roseville Area), Jack Kiesner (St. Michael Albertville) and Patrick “Patches” Steinbring (Anoka) produced Anoka Ramsey’s first three runs of the game.

In the last of the seventh, Anoka Ramsey picked up the rally when Evan Dozier (Champlin Park) was hit by pitch, Carlson walked and Noman singled home the team’s fourth run.

Daniels pinch ran for Carlson and moved up to third and Norman to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice by bunt by lead-off hitter Nick Wong (Roseville Area).  This set the stage for Knoche, who ended the game by feasting on an 0-1 pitch.

In game two, Anoka Ramsey fell behind 1-o in the first when Blevins was tagged for a one-out, solo home run.  The deficit grew to 6-0 in the third when Riverland scored five more runs, three of which rode home on another home run.

In the last of the third, however, Anoka Ramsey stormed right back with a four-run rally.

Nick Knoche, sophomore second baseman.

A run-scoring double by Steinbring, followed by a two-run double by Daniels made it 6-3. Daniels ultimately scored after a Cole Linnell (Champlin Park) single and infield ground ball off the bat of catcher Travis Earls (St. Francis), who picked up the RBI.

But that was it for Anoka Ramsey, which stranded five other runners after Daniels had scored run No. 4.  Meantime, Riverland padded its lead with a run in the fourth and another in the fifth.

Anoka Ramsey will renew its acquaintance with Riverland in Austin April 30, during a doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.