The Faribault Lakers town ball baseball team won a June 14 game in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Lonsdale Aces.
The game was tied in the bottom of the 11th at 3-3 when Jack Jandro singled, scoring Drew Conrad for their fourth win this year. Joe Grote was once again solid on the mound for Faribault, as he was the winning pitcher in relief in the last five innings, giving up only three hits and one run.
Mason Miller started the game for the Lakers and had shut out Lonsdale for the first three innings for the top of the fourth when the Aces got the first run of the game on the board with a double. A run scoring single in the next at bat made it a 1-0 lead.
Miller had been dominant, striking out five of the first nine batters he faced, only giving up one hit going into the top of the fourth. He did escape the inning only giving up those two hits and one run.
The Lakers struck back with a run of their own to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Nate Rost singled on a hard ground ball and then advanced to second on a single by Tucker Alstead on a line drive to left field. Ayden Qualey singled with a 0-2 count to drive in the run.
Lonsdale came back in the top of the fifth and scored again to make it a 2-1 lead after five innings.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lakers put up a crooked number to take the lead. Rost singled for the second time, and then Alstead doubled to score Rost. Up 3-2, Qualey singled, scoring Alstead to make it 4-2 after six innings of play.
Grote came on in relief in the seventh and walked a Lonsdale batter on some controversial ball and strikes calls. The next two batters for the Aces singled and doubled, tying the game up at 3-3.
After that little rally in the seventh to tie the game up, Grote settled down and started to get into the groove, keeping the Aces off balance with well-timed off speed pitches and pinpoint accuracy on his fastball. Grote was the benefactor of a double play in the eighth to keep it knotted at 3-3 and faced the minimum batters in a quick ninth inning. In the 10th, Lonsdale had a man on base, but Grote shut the door with a strikeout and pop up to the infield.
In the 11th inning, The Lakers’ Drew Conrad doubled as the lead-off hitter. Grote sacrificed Conrad to third base. The Aces intentionally walked Rost to set up a force out or double play with runners at first and third base. But, they would then walk Tucker Alstead to load the bases.
Jack Jandro became the hero of the game on an infield hit to the first baseman, scoring Conrad. The Lakers would walk off the bases as a winner.
With their record now 4-6 for the season, the Lakers will travel to Elko New Market for a tough matchup on Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m., and then come back home for a game against Shakopee on Friday, June 21 at Bell Field. The Lakers dominated Shakopee at their field winning 9-1 in their first game of the season.
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