Lakers get a win, two close losses

After gaining a big come-from-behind victory against Hutchinson early in the week, the Lakers dropped two close ones against D-C and Howard Lake to finish the week off.

Maple Lake vs. Hutchinson

At Hutchinson on Wednesday, June 18, Chad Raiche took the mound and went all nine innings to pick up the North Star League victory as the Lakers avenged their only loss of the season.

The Lakers and Huskies battled back-and-forth for the first three innings, and it wasn’t until the fourth inning that either team scored. In the top half of the inning, Maple Lake had two players reach the basepaths, but a double play snuffed their rally. The Huskies, however, capitalized on a walk and scored the first run of the game.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that another run would score, and unfortunately, it was Hutchinson that blasted two home-runs and put three more runs on the board.

Down 4-0 going into the top of the seventh, the Lakers finally found some offense as they scored five runs to take the lead. Mic Johnson started the rally off as he sent a solo shot over the fence. Cody Decker and Tony Smith then worked the pitcher and got back-to-back walks. Bart Kilgo loaded the bases up with a single, and Sam Marsnik drove in C. Decker with a sacrifice fly to left field. Raiche and Keith Jerpseth continued to be patient at the plate as they both earned a walk with the bases loaded.

After gaining the lead, the Lakers carried their momentum over as they put the Huskies down one, two, three.

In the eighth inning, both teams managed to get their lead-off man aboard, but after three straight outs both runners were left stranded at first.

In what the Lakers hoped would be the last inning of the game, they went down one, two, three in the top half. Then, in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, the Lakers had a lull as two Huskie runners reached the basepaths. However, a ground-out fielded by shortstop, Marcus Zahn, and tossed to Sam Marsnik at second for the fielder’s choice ended the game and gave the Lakers the 5-4 win.

More information appears in this weeks issue of the Messenger.