Section baseball playoffs come to an emotional end for Hermantown – Duluth News Tribune

And on Tuesday, he and the emotionally drained Hawks finally ran out of gas in a 4-0, season-ending defeat to Duluth Marshall at Al Nyberg Field, less than a mile from where Sunday’s service was held.

There’s no manual for any of that. But if there was, Hermantown coach Mike Zagelmeyer said through pursed lips, Zuidmulder “probably should be the author of it.”

Kurt Zuidmulder, whose death was heart-related, was 48. He was a 1985 graduate of Hibbing High School and played football at the University of North Dakota.

And just about everyone agrees he would have been intensely proud of how his son has responded to the tragedy.

“I’ve been shocked at how well he’s handled things,” Hermantown senior Parker Hawk said. “He’s a strong kid, and he’s got a lot of support, and that’s helping him.”

On Tuesday, after Marshall’s Peter Lenz punctuated a five-hit gem with his fifth strikeout, the 6-foot-6 Zuidmulder lumbered to his feet in the dugout, his stellar three-sport prep career officially over. A parade of hugs ensued.

The Hawks congregated on a patch of grass outside the ballpark. It was warm and windy beneath a gray sky. Zuidmulder sat briefly with his head between his knees. But the setting — being surrounded by his teammates, coaches, family and friends — is exactly what he’s needed.

Baseball has been a blessing.

“Baseball’s everything right now,” Zagelmeyer said. “I think this would have been — not that it was easy — but it would have been a lot more difficult if we didn’t have baseball still.”

Said Zuidmulder: “I couldn’t ask for better teammates and I wouldn’t want to be on any other team. Parker Hawk, just to pick out one individual, we’ve been together for the last 50 hours. He hasn’t left my side. Him being there and just walking me through things, being there if I think of something and it’s not good, he’s there to support me. It’s awesome.

“Years down the road, I’m going to see him and I’m going to thank him for everything he did for me and for my family.”

Zuidmulder, Hawk and the rest of the Hermantown seniors will graduate Sunday.

The Hawks (8-15) won three playoff games after a 5-13 regular season that commenced with a nine-game losing streak. They had just as many hits as the Hilltoppers on Tuesday, but a three-run Marshall first — highlighted by RBI doubles to straight-away center field from Cole Brashaw and Tyler Pedersen — set the tone. Lenz took control from there.

Far from overpowering, the junior right-hander is crafty enough to keep hitters guessing. Lenz threw 104 pitches and walked just one.

“What he did today and what he does when he’s at his best is throw quality strikes and hit a spot that the hitters aren’t comfortable with,” Hilltoppers coach Joe Wicklund said.

After the first inning, Hermantown’s Jesse Jacques was nearly as good. The sophomore lefty settled in and gave the Hawks a chance, but they never seriously threatened Lenz, who retired 10 of 11 batters at one point.

Hermantown opened the postseason with a rousing upset of International Falls. A loss to Proctor knocked the Hawks into the loser’s bracket, but they outscored MLWR and Greenway by a combined 18-1 to hang around. That, Zuidmulder said, was improbable considering the team’s season-long struggles.

“Somebody had to be watching over us because our season obviously didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but to pull out two games and win 18-1 on the scoreboard is pretty phenomenal,” he said.

He didn’t have to specify who he thought was watching over them.

Zuidmulder now turns his attention to graduation. He knows the coming days and weeks won’t be easy. He talked of staying strong for his mom, Kerrie, and remembering the good times with his dad “rather than the ‘what-could-we-have-done’ scenarios.”

He’s grateful for the outpouring of support. That was on display Sunday as the entire Hermantown team attended the funeral.

“Obviously, we’re going to have our ups and downs in the near future,” said Zuidmulder, who is headed to Minnesota Duluth to play football and baseball. “We’re going to have those flashbacks and restless nights, but I know I can call anybody and they’ll be there to talk with me.”