With two North Star League losses during the past week, the shortage of available pitchers is hurting the Maple Lake Lakers in their quest for a repeat of 2005’s Central Division first place finish. While the starting rotation of Todd DeMarais, Jon Anderson and Chad Raiche has been generally effective, the Lakers lack the all-important closer who can come in and shut down the opponents for the last few innings. Smarting from two straight league defeats, the Lakers host Rockford in a 7:30 p.m. game Wednesday, June 14, and on Friday, June 16, arch rival D-C comes to Irish Stadium for another 7:30 match up. Monticello 7, Maple Lake 3 Chad Raiche pitched gamely Sunday, June 11, against the Monticello Polecats on Monti’s high school field but ran out of steam in the seventh and allowed Monti two runs on three hits and a sacrifice fly that put them up 4-3. The Polecats iced the game in the eighth with three more runs on three hits and a Laker error. Maple Lake scored the first run of the game on consecutive doubles off the bats of Todd Fuller and Bobby Fobbe in the second inning, but the Polecats tied up the game when Matt Loegering doubled in a run after two walks. Monti came back with an unearned run in the fourth with another runner scoring after he had walked. The Lakers pulled ahead in the action-packed sixth. Raiche led off with a double and eventually scored on a balk. With bases loaded Bobby Fobbe hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield. Running in from third, Keith Jerpseth plowed into the catcher, who successfully blocked the plate for an out as the ground shook from the collision. The catcher then overthrew second trying to double up a Laker runner, and Fuller scored on the error. With two outs Fobbe was cut down at the plate on a perfect throw from center field while trying to score from second on Marty Johnson’s base hit, and the Laker scoring ended for the day. Lakers AB R H RBI Tyler Decker 5 0 2 0 Marcus Zahn 4 0 0 0 Chad Raiche 5 1 2 0 Keith Jerpseth 4 0 0 0 Eric Wurm 0 0 0 0 Todd Fuller 2 2 1 0 Bobby Fobbe 3 0 2 2 Craig Fobbe 4 0 0 0 Marty Johnson 3 0 1 0 Cody Decker 3 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 3 8 2 Lakers 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3R, 8H, 2E Monticello 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 3 x 7R, 8H, 1E Maple Lake: Chad Raiche (L) and Cody Decker Monticello: Alex Stein, Matt Loegering (7W) and Brandon Veches Raiche: IP 8 H8 R7 ER 5 SO 5 W 6
St. Michael 11, Lakers 3 Though the Lakers totaled nine hits off St. Cloud State right-hander Adam McGrane, the hits didn’t bunch up well, and with two Saints double plays, the Lakers could score only three runs, and were shut down after the sixth inning at the St. Michael Recreational Field Wednesday night, June 7. Laker starter Jon Anderson pitched well until tiring in the seventh. Laker errors contributed to two unearned runs of the six charged to Anderson. The Saints added five runs in the eighth off Marcus Zahn in relief. Darin Decker drove in the first two Laker runs in the fifth with a looping double to left field that brought in the Fobbe team of Bobby and Craig. Raiche scored the other Laker run in the sixth on Todd Fuller’s hit after reaching base on a Saints error. Lakers AB R H RBI Darin Decker 4 0 3 2 Eric Wurm 1 0 0 0 Nate Johnson 2 0 0 0 Ryan Klingelhofer 0 0 0 0 Chad Raiche 5 1 0 0 Keith Jerpseth 4 0 1 0 Mike Boxell 0 0 0 0 Tyler Decker 4 0 1 0 Todd Fuller 3 0 2 1 Bobby Fobbe 3 1 0 0 Craig Fobbe 3 1 1 0 Marty Johnson 1 0 0 0 Marcus Zahn 3 0 1 0 Cody Decker 0 0 0 0 Sam Marsnik 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 3 9 3 Lakers 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3R, 9H, 3E Saints 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 5 x 11R, 14H, 1E Maple Lake: Jon Anderson (L), Marcus Zahn (8), and Keith Jerpseth St. Michael: Adam McGrane (W) and Derek Brant Jon Anderson: IP 7 H9 R6 ER 4 SO 3 W 4 HP 1 Marcus Zahn IP 1 H5 R5 ER 5 SO 0 HP 1 n Don’s Details: Adam McGrane looks like a valuable addition to the Saints pitching corps. Catcher Derek Brant is back from minor league ball and will strengthen St. Michael’s lineup. It was a reunion of sorts Wednesday night for Laker catcher Keith Jerpseth, who was drafted by the Saints for State Tournament action last August. Cody and Darin Decker saw Monticello right hander Alex Stein this spring when he pitched for Ridgewater College, which went to the national community college tournament. Derek Dormanen of the Midway Snerdbirds, who faced the Lakers in their tournament last year, is playing for the Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks of the Northern League. Nate Johnson will miss several games while on vacation in Europe.
