Faribault Lakers Baseball

 It has been a Cinderella like run for the Faribault Lakers. Getting hot at the end of the regular season, the momentum has carried into the playoffs. Wins last week over Hampton and Rochester had the Lakers a win away from the Class A State Tournament with DRS rival Elko providing the next road block. The roadblock managed to stop Cinderella's carriage as the Lakers fell a run short, 7-6. With the loss, Elko gains a berth in the State Tournament, while the Lakers will have to come back through the loser's bracket.  The Lakers jumped to a 3-0 lead with a solo home run by Jack Jandro in the second inning. Joe Grote followed with a solo shot in the third inning. Later in the third a Dylan O'Neil single plated Riley Palmer. The Express got on the board in the bottom of the third. With two runners on base, a grounder was first bobbled then thrown away to allow Michael Fredrickson to score. Faribault countered in the top of the fourth. Former Laker Jake Petricka entered the game...

It was the first game in Faribault for the Rochester Royals since the Fox 9 Townball Tour many years ago. In a crazy coincidence, Porter Sartor who went the distance for the Lakers that night in his last game before moving south, came in the eighth inning and recorded a five out save for Egan Bonde.   The Royals got on the board first courtesy of two hits sandwiched around a fielding error to load the bases. Roman Lynch coaxed a bases loaded walk to make it a 1-0 game.  In the second, with one out, Logan Milene blasted a solo home run to right field to bump the lead to 2-0.  The Lakers roared back to take the lead. In the fourth a leadoff walk to Riley Palmer scored on a Aiden Tobin single. In the fifth, with a runner on, Joe Grote parked one over the Madson Monster in left field to give the Lakers their first lead of the game at 3-2.  Palmer singled with one out, stole second, advanced to third on an error, and alertly stole home on a throw back to the mound....

It was a game that had something in it for both clubs. In a game just added to the schedule, both Faribault and Owatonna were looking to get games in with the Section 1A playoffs looming this weekend. Owatonna was looking to sweep the season series with the Lakers looking to avenge a lopsided defeat earlier in the season at Bell Field. What transpired was a wild game between the rival towns on a hot July Monday night with Faribault getting revenge with a one run win. The Aces got on the board first. With the bases loaded, a fielder's choice from Matt Seykora with a throwing error scoring another. But the Lakers struck back in the second. With the bases loaded, a fielder's choice by Carter Quinlan scored a run. With two outs Joe Grote doubled a pair of runs home. Drew Conrad then reached on a throwing error that allowed Grote to score the fourth run of inning. Faribault added three more in the third. A single sandwiched between two walks loaded the bases. Zander Fitzsimmons unlo...

It wasn't the usual Lakers game plan. A team that utilizes small ball to put runs on the board, utilized the long ball tonight to take down the Webster Sox for the first time in recent memory on Friday night at Bell Field.   It was an eventful first inning. Webster had three hits but could not muster a run, getting runners thrown out at third and home. The Lakers found paydirt in the form of two bloop singles to shallow right followed by a three run home run by Riley Palmer to jump out to a 3-0 lead.  Webster got one back in the second inning. Three consecutive singles with one out loaded the bases. A fielder's choice off the bat of pitcher Johnny Checheris to make it a 3-1 game.  The Lakers utilized the three run home run again in the fifth. After Zander Fitzsimmons singled and Joe Grote doubled to deep left, Drew Conrad homered to center to give the Lakers a 6-1 lead.  But the Sox would not be denied. Will Arendt led off the sixth with a solo home run. Later w...

On a night where the County Fair started right down the round, the Lakers and Wanamingo went for a night long ride around the bases with the Jacks having five extra ride tickets.   The Jacks were not wasting daylight. After the lead off batter reached on an error, Alex Roosen doubled to deep left field. With runners in scoring position, a Josh Matonich ground out scored a run. Eric Swiggum followed with a two run shot. It was 3-0 while fans were still getting their Busch Lights and Bauer Burgers.  The Lakers decided to score some runs for the fans who missed the Jacks runs in the top of the frame. With two runners on, Austin Rendler doubled in a run. Jack Jandro followed with a grounder to third, the throw went to home where it was dropped, allowing Aiden Tobin to score. Adam Vos followed with a two run bloop single to give the Lakers a 4-3 lead.  In the bottom of the third, Jandro and Atley Qualey both reached to lead off the inning. With both in scoring position, a...

The Lakers coming off a big win over Hastings on Sunday were looking to build some momentum. Veseli had other ideas defeating their DRS rival on Wednesday night in Veseli.  The Lakers jumped out to a 1-0 lead as Drew Conrad tripled down the right field line and scored on a Aiden Tobin sacrifice fly. The Warriors countered as Matt Perkinson's two out single cashed in a lead off walk. Two batters  later, Michael Bruner singled to score Perkinson to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead after an inning. In the Veseli second inning, Ethan Paler was hit by a pitch with one out. On a delay steal, Paler ended up on third on a throwing error. Kyle Carlberg then singled to drive in Paler. Veseli added to the lead in the fourth as an infield single by Perkinson drove in his second run of the night. A throwing error in the last of the fifth advanced Plaer to second. Carlberg drove him in with a bloop double to make it 5-1. In the seventh it Pater singling in a run and Carlberg driving in his thir...