Staples-Motley got on top of Detroit Lakes early to take game one but the Lakers responded with a nightcap victory to split a Mid-State Conference doubleheader Thursday, May 10 at Washington Park.
The Cardinals had six runs on the board before the Lakers recorded their first hit of the game in an 8-7 opening victory for the visitors.
DL trailed 7-3 heading to their final at-bats and came up a run short.
Jackson Fields and Ethan Schweigart started a one-out rally with back-to-back walks. Ben Stearns had a two-out double and Lane Moe homered before Sully Wood was fanned for the final out of the game.
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The loss was a frustrating one for a team that is trying to find an identity. The Lakers are 5-4 overall this season and have only played one game outside the Mid-State Conference. For head coach Mike Bommersbach, he wants to see a more cohesive unit heading into a stretch of games where the competition is going to ramp up, including a matchup with 11-0 Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton later in May.
“It was not pretty and with the way the guys are playing, it could be a long half to the season,” said Bommersbach.. “It is all mental; we need to put the egos aside and start thinking team. There have way too much off the field antics, poor decision making, that limits me as a coach. I can't depend on guys to literally be at the game. It kills me; I have a great bunch of guys that are working their tails off and some that just show up.”
The Cardinals victory was only their second in 10 games.
A few choice words may have gotten the Lakers motivated for game two as DL used a two-run third and four-run fourth inning to put away a 7-2 victory in a game shortened to five innings.
Reed Mace and Schweigart each had two hits each, one a double.
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Mace, Jackson Haire and Eli Brooks accounted for six of the seven runs.
Prowlers, Flyers hand DL home losses The Lakers faced Little Falls and Thief River Falls Friday, May 11 at home.
The Lakers and Prowlers opened the three-game set with DL coming up short in an 6-2 loss.
Jackson Fields was 2-3 at the plate; Jackson Haire and Sully Wood each knocked in a run scoring Reed Mace and Moe with the Laker runs.
Little Falls earned a sweep by defeating Thief River Falls 13-1 and the Lakers 10-0.
The 5-6 Lakers travel to East Grand Forks Tuesday, May 15 for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
