Facing elimination in the North Star League playoffs, the Maple Lake Lakers treated fans to an exciting 11 inning win over Delano on Saturday night, Aug. 5, at St. Michael that put them into the final four round. The downside was having to face the No. 2 seed D-C Saints on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 6, with tired bats and a shortage of pitching. The opportunistic Saints, who hadn’t played for 10 days, came away with a 7-0 victory. The Lakers now take on the Hamel Hawks at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at in St. Michael with the loser hanging up the uniforms, the winner continuing in the double elimination championship round. Despite their reputation as the boys of a long gone summer, the sixth-seeded Hawks eliminated Hutchinson in two games before losing 4-1 on Sunday to St. Michael. D-C 7, Lakers 0 D-C right hander Eric Hanson, who pitched at St. John’s, scattered eight hits and didn’t walk a Laker while striking out eight. He had previously knocked off the Lakers 8-3 on June 18 in league play and also took one from Maple Lake during the 2005 season. After a long summer layoff, Laker Starter Todd DeMarais struggled with control and gave up three runs, but D-C teed off on reliever Mike Boxell with a four-run sixth inning to put the game on ice. Tyler and Darin Decker each had two of the Laker hits. Cody Decker threw out two Saints from his catching position to win the fielding star of the game. Dan Birkholz led the D-C hitting with three hits and three RBIs. Oddly, none of the D-C hits were for extra bases. Lakers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0R, 8H, OE Saints 1 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 0 7R, 12H, 1E Lakers: Todd DeMarais (L), Mike Boxell (5), and Cody Decker Saints: Eric Hanson and Matt Bergstrom DeMarais IP 4, ER 3, H 5, BB 5, HP 1, SO 2 Boxell IP 4, ER 4, H 7, BB 0, SO 1 Eric Hanson IP 9 ER 0, H 8, BB 0, SO 8 Game 3 of playoffs Lakers 2, Delano 1 (11 innings) It was season end for the loser in this best of three preliminary round of playoffs, and Chad Raiche was up to the challenge. Striking out 11 for his best effort of the season, Raiche shut out the A’s for 10 innings to take the win. With the fans on the edges of their seats, and side armer Jon Wilson taking over mound duties in the top of the 11th for Delano, Bobby Fobbe walked with a Wilson strikeout in the books. After another strikeout, Laker scoring hopes looked dim. That’s when Marcus Zahn laced a hard hit down the first base line to put runners on first and third. Darin Decker’s base hit then drove in Fobbe, and Nate Johnson drove in the game-winner on a double. However, the Lakers still had to shut down Delano in the bottom of the inning. Due to a blister on his pitching hand, Raiche was replaced by Zahn, who walked and hit a batter. Management quickly put in the gutsy Bobby Fobbe to put out the fire. Though giving up an RBI single with two outs, a Fobbe strikeout saved the game and ended Delano’s season. Joe Nielsen was tough for Delano over 10 innings, striking out four and giving up six hits and three walks. Kevin Jaunich drove in Delano’s run.
Lakers AB R H RBI Darin Decker 6 0 1 1 Nate Johnson 5 0 1 1 Chad Raiche 5 0 1 0 Keith Jerpseth 5 0 1 0 Todd Fuller 5 0 1 0 Tyler Decker 5 0 0 0 Bobby Fobbe 4 1 0 0 Sam Marsnik 0 0 0 0 Mike Boxell 0 0 0 0 Cody Decker 4 0 2 0 Marcus Zahn 5 1 2 0 Totals 44 2 9 2 Lakers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2R, 9H, 0E Delano 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1R, 6H, 3E Lakers: Raiche (W), Zahn (11), Bobbe Fobbe (11, Save) and Cody Decker Delano: Joe Nielsen, Jon Wilson (11, L) and Andy Brown Raiche: IP 10, SO 11, BB 5, HP 1, H 5, R 0 Zahn: 1 BB, 1 HP, ER 1 Fobbe: IP 3, SO 2, BB 1, H 1 Nielsen: IP 10, SO 4, BB 3, H 6, R 0 Wilson: IP 1 SO 2, BB 1, ER Game 2 of playoffs Lakers 6, Delano 1 The tables were turned on Delano the next night in the second game of the best of three playoff when the Lakers put together good pitching, fielding and defense for the win at Irish Stadium. Trailing 1-0, Maple Lake came back in the second on doubles by Todd Fuller and Bobby Fobbe for one run, and Cody Decker’s RBI single. Cody advanced to second when Marcus Zahn got a free pass but was cut down at the plate trying to score on a base hit by Chad Raiche, a controversial call. The game was put on ice in a bizarre eighth inning scoring flurry. Nate Johnson doubled, advanced on Raiche’s single, and then Keith Jerpseth walked to load the bases. With two outs the Lakers entered the "Twilight Zone." Fobbe rapped a solid single to right field to clear the bases, aided by a throwing error and a fumbled tag at the plate. As the action continued, Fobbe steamed around the bases for the fourth run for what one Laker later called a "Little League home run." Jon Anderson was effective in the starting role, giving up only one run in five innings, but the pitching performance of the night was turned in by Mike Boxell, who allowed only two base runners in three innings of relief. Outstanding fielding plays were turned in by Raiche, who made a major league caliber stop of a grounder to his right at deep short and powered the throw to first for an out; and Tyler Decker, who cut down an A’s runner at the plate after catching a fly ball in right field.
Lakers AB R H RBI Darin Decker 4 0 2 0 Nate Johnson 4 1 1 0 Chad Raiche 4 1 2 0 Keith Jerpseth 3 1 0 0 Todd Fuller 4 1 2 0 Tyler Decker 4 0 0 0 Craig Fobbe 0 0 0 0 Bobby Fobbe 4 2 2 4 Cody Decker 3 0 1 1 Billy Porter 1 0 0 0 Marcus Zahn 2 0 1 0 Jon Anderson 0 0 0 0 Mike Boxell 0 0 0 0 Totals 33 6 11 5 Delano 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1R, 5H, 2E Lakers 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 x 6R, 11H, 0E Delano: Todd Roth (L) and Andy Brown Lakers: Jon Anderson (W), Mike Boxell (7) and Cody Decker Roth IP8, R 6, ER 4, H 11, BB 2, SO 7 Anderson IP 6, R1, ER 1, H 5, BB 4, SO 3 Boxell IP 3, R0, H 0, BB 1 Game 1 of playoffs Delano 5, Lakers 1 League playoffs began on a sour note for the Lakers on Thursday night, Aug. 3, at Delano with a 5-1 loss. With pinpoint control, veteran right-hander Jeff Janzen held the Lakers to six hits to take the win. The Lakers’ only real scoring opportunity came in the sixth inning. Darin Decker led off with a single but was cut down at second on a ground ball hit by Nate Johnson, who reached base on a fielder’s choice. Chad Raiche singled, and Keith Jerpseth was hit to load the bases. When Todd Fuller’s grounder to short was muffed, Johnson scored an unearned run. Janzen recovered and retired the final 11 Laker batters to end the game. Delano got all of its runs in the third inning off starter and loser Bobby Fobbe, on four hits and two Laker errors on Delano bunts that included a suicide squeeze combined with a costly overthrow of first base. Two of the runs were unearned. Leading the Laker defense, Darin Decker made a diving catch in center field and first baseman Jerpseth made a big stop of a ground ball to his right.
Lakers AB R H RBI Darin Decker 4 0 1 0 Nate Johnson 4 1 1 0 Chad Raiche 4 0 1 0 Keith Jerpseth 3 0 2 0 Todd Fuller 4 0 0 0 Tyler Decker 4 0 0 0 Craig Fobbe 4 0 0 0 Bobby Fobbe 3 0 1 0 Marcus Zahn 2 0 0 0 Totals 32 1 6 0 Lakers 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1R, 6H, 3E Delano 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 5R, 5H, 1E Lakers: Bobby Fobbe (L) and Tyler Decker Delano: Jeff Janzen (W) and Andy Brown Fobbe IP 8, R5, ER 3, H 5, BB 1, SO 3 Janzen IP 9, R 1, ER 0, H 6, BB 0 HP 1
Be the first to comment