The Lakers ended the past week with a 7-4 loss to the Class A Minneapolis Angels on Friday, July 18. The Angels came into the game in second place in the powerful Park National League. But the big story was about a dramatic 8-7 win over St. Michael on Thursday, July 17. It was the first Laker win over the Saints in several seasons and only the second Saints loss in league play. The victory ended the Laker regular season with a 4-4 record against the B teams. With playoffs starting Thursday, July 31, the Lakers are moving into high gear with home exhibition games against strong Metro area teams to tune team pitching and keep the bats alive. The Coon Rapids Redbirds come to Irish Stadium on Wednesday, July 23, and the Soderville Outlaws arrive Friday, July 25, both games at 7:30 p.m. The big game for Laker spectators is Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday, July 27, with a 2 p.m. start. Prize drawings will go on throughout the game. Angels 7, Lakers 4 Bobby Fobbe, coming back from a long baseball injury, started on the mound for the Lakers and went 51/3 innings. The Angels started off hot with three runs in the first inning on five hits. Matt Ode, who finished the game with two hits, drove in two runs with a double. Ode added an RBI in the sixth. The Lakers were baffled by Angel starter Mike Carrell’s breaking stuff until the fourth. Keith Jerpseth reached on an infield error. After Todd Fuller walked, Cody Decker’s base hit drove in Jerpseth for the first run. Fuller scored on Tyler Decker’s long sacrifice fly to left field. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the comeback Lakers trailed 7-2, but a walk to pinch hitter Tony Smith and Chad Raiche’s second hit of the day got the fans on the edge of their seats. Jerpseth’s second hit of the day scored Smith. Jerpseth was forced at second, Fuller reaching base on the fielder’s choice. Mr. Clutch Cody Decker hit a long double down the left field line to drive in Raiche. With only one out, Laker prospects looked good, but Jeff Kiel entering in relief got Tyler Decker and Eric Wurm on pop ups to shortstop for the save. The Lakers had chances to win throughout the game, stranding 13 runners. Before the game Julia Bothun, Maple Lake eighth-grader-to-be, entertained the crowd with an outstanding a cappella version of the "Star Spangled Banner." The crowd was swelled by a large delegation of Angel fans. LAKERS AB R H RBI Nate Johnson 5 0 1 0 Marcus Zahn 3 0 0 0 Tony Smith 0 1 0 0 Chad Raiche 4 1 2 0 Joe Paumen 1 0 0 0 Keith Jerpseth 5 1 2 1 Todd Fuller 4 1 0 0 Cody Decker 4 0 2 2 Tyler Decker 4 0 1 1 Eric Wurm 4 0 1 0 Dave Hanson 3 0 1 0 Ryan Klingelhofer 0 0 0 0 Bobby Fobbe 0 0 0 0 Totals 37 4 10 4 Angels 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 7R, 11 H, 3 E Lakers 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 4R, 10 H, 2E Angels: Mike Carrell, Brian Hronsky 5, W), Lee Benson (8), Matt Ode (9), Jeff Kiel (9, SV) and Brian Gerdes Lakers: Bobby Fobbe (L), Chad Raiche (6) and Cody Decker Fobbe IP 5 1/3 H 10 R 6 ER 5 BB 4 SO 3 Raiche IP 3 1/3 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 1 SO 2 Lakers 8, St. Michael 7 With the Lakers-St. Michael game Thursday tied 7-7 going into the bottom of the ninth and the Lakers in danger of running short of pitching, the time was now. Fuller led off with a single and took second on Mic Johnson’s perfectly placed sacrifice bunt. Now it was Cody Decker’s turn. After running the count to 3-2, Decker smashed a double to the left-center field fence to end the game in dramatic fashion. Success looked questionable when the Saints scored three times in the first off starter Fuller, capitalizing on two walks and Chris Volkmann’s 360-foot homer over the left field fence. The Lakers came back in their half of the first with three runs on a walk to Nate Johnson, a Saints error, RBI singles by Fuller and Mic Johnson and Cody Decker’s infield ground out. The Lakers hit paydirt in the fourth with two more runs. Tyler Decker reached on catcher’s interference, Marcus Zahn walked and the runners came home on hits by Chad Raiche and Jerpseth. In the sixth Nate Johnson walked and advanced to third on a play book hit and run off the bat of Zahn. Johnson and Zahn scored on RBI hits by Raiche and Jerpseth. Fuller showed good velocity but walked seven in six-plus innings of work. Four Saints runners scored after reaching on walks. Ben Jungers entered the game in the seventh with two runners on, one run in and one out. Three Laker errors allowed two more Saints runs before the bleeding stopped. With key playoff games remaining, the Saints went with No. 3 starter Derek Brant, who gave up seven runs and 11 hits in five and two-thirds innings on Friday night. Veteran Paul Schumm entered the sixth with bases loaded and two outs and retired the Lakers on an infield out but went on to give up the winning run in the ninth. The game was broadcast live over KRWC by Lyn Sheplee. The previous night’s game with Delano was also broadcast by Sheplee and Otte Ottness. To get up-to-date league playoff information, including the area’s Class C teams, go to the league web site: www.northstarleague.org. LAKERS AB R H RBI Nate Johnson 2 2 0 0 Marcus Zahn 4 2 1 0 Chad Raiche 5 0 3 2 Keith Jerpseth 5 1 3 2 Todd Fuller 4 2 4 1 Joe Paumen 0 0 0 0 Mic Johnson 4 0 1 1 Cody Decker 5 0 2 2 Tyler Decker 3 1 0 0 Eric Wurm 4 0 0 0 Tony Smith 0 0 0 0 Totals 36 8 14 8 Saints 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 7R, 7H, 3E Lakers 3 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 8R, 14H, 4E Saints: Derek Brant, Paul Schumm 6,L) and Reid Weber, Derek Brant Lakers: Todd Fuller, Ben Jungers ((7,W) and Cody Decker Fuller IP 6 1/3 H 6 R 6 ER 5 BB 7 SO 5 Jungers IP 2 2/3 R 1 ER 0 H 1 BB 1 SO 1