Section 1A Baseball: Faribault Lakers score five runs in the ninth to stun Owatonna 13-12

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 unloaded them with a double to put the Lakers up 7-2.

Owatonna matched the three spot in the bottom of the inning. Bennett Brown drove in a run with a single and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Jarred Lee tripled with two outs and scored on a Gavin Saxton single.

Owatonna got to within a run as Mitch Srykora doubled in Owen Wayne. Matt Seykora followed with a double to tie the game at 7. Seykora scored two batters later on a back end of a double steal to give the Aces their first lead of the game, 8-7.

Two more runs scored for the Aces in the fifth as Matt Seykora knocked in a pair of runs to stretch the lead to 10-7.

The hit parade continued for Owatonna in the fifth. A Johnny White single plated two more runs to make it 12-7.

From there it was all Lakers. In the eighth, Fitzsimmons doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a Grote single to inch the Lakers back to a four run deficit. The most dangerous lead in baseball.

In the ninth, the Lakers loaded the bases to lead off the inning, Fitzsimmons singled in a run. WIth two outs, Aiden Tobin singled to load the bases again. This set the stage for Austin Rendler. Rendler, down to his last strike, launched a double off the left field fence, a few feet away from a grand slam, to tie the game at 12. With Jack Jandro at bat, a wild pitch scored Tobin to give the Lakers the lead. 

The Aces would not go down quietly. There were runners at the corners with one out and clean up hitter Matt Seykora at the plate versus Lakers reliever Drew Conrad. Seykora smashed a line drive up the middle that Conrad snared, doubling the runner off of first to end the game. 

Jamie's Deliverymen of the Game:

1. Austin Rendler-Faribault. Sometimes it's not the guy with the biggest night that snares the top spot. In this case it's the player that had the biggest impact in the result. Rendler earned that with his only hit in a 1-4 night that tied the game in the ninth. Rendler walked twice and scored a run.

2. Zander Fitzsimmons-Faribault. Fitzsimmons was a force from the nine hole going 3-4 with a walk, two runs scored and three runs batted in. 

3. Mitch Seykora- Owatonna. Seykora had five hits for the night, including three doubles, two runs scored and three runs batted in. 

Notes:

There will be one final tune up for the Lakers as the 2022 Class A State Champion Rochester Royals come to Bell Field. The last visit by the Royals was in 2021, a Lakers win on the night when the Fox 9 Townball Tour visited Faribault. 7:30 first pitch from Bell Field. 

The playoffs for Section 1A begin Saturday. Game times and location are TBA.