There was a reoccurring theme for the Detroit Lakes Post 15 baseball team, after it went 0-3 in the Gopher Classic over the weekend in Minneapolis.
That 0-3 mark could have just as easily have been 3-0 if not for the bottom of the sixth inning.
In all three contests, Post 15 had leads going into the bottom of the sixth, but each and every time, the opponents scored just enough runs to pull off the victory.
“We just couldn’t get past the sixth inning without losing our leads,” said DL head coach Mitch McLeod. “We couldn’t close out the games and if we did, we would have been 3-0.”
The DL squad lost to East Ridge 7-6, Eagan 5-3 and Valley Spring, S.D., 6-4.
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Eagan took advantage of a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth trailing 3-2, to score three runs, then shut the door on Post 15 in the top of the seventh.
Eagan put together two consecutive walks to start the bottom of the sixth, while stringing together three consecutive singles to key the big inning.
Taylor Magnuson had an eye on the ball all tournament, by going 3-4 against Eagan and scoring twice.
Overall, Magnuson went 7-10 in the three-game tournament (Sunday’s two games were lost due to rain), while A.J. Matter was 6-9 and Austin Eiter was 5-12.
“Our top of the order hit very well, but our pitchers had too many walks,” McLeod said. “We were also missing some people, so our depth wasn’t there in the batting order.”
Dl was able to score two runs in the third against Eagan, with Eiter, Kirk McLeod and Magnuson hitting consecutive singles, followed by an RBI sacrifice by Reed Johnson and an RBI double by Matter, who went 2-3 in the game.
Post 15 had nine hits against Valley Springs in a 6-4 loss, as the South Dakota team scored two in the fifth and a decisive three in the sixth to secure the victory.
Valley Springs used a total of four walks and two hit batsmen in the two innings, while a three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth sealed the deal.
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Each of Magnuson and Matter went 2-3, while Eiter added a two-run single in the top of the sixth to put DL up 4-3.
It was more of the same as East Ridge notched two runs in the bottom of the sixth to steal a 7-6 victory.
Eiter had a good game from his second slot position by going 3-4, while each of Matter and Magnuson were 2-3.
Kirk McLeod scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth after leading off with a triple and being hit in on a Magnuson double, who was stranded later in the frame.
Post 15 will wrap up their regular season by hosting the Water Carnival Tournament Thursday through Saturday.
They will open against Park Rapids at 8 p.m. Thursday, then play again Saturday against Moorhead at 1 p.m. and Grafton, N.D., at 3 p.m.
The three other teams will play Friday at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
DL is also 7-5 in district play and will open the playoffs in Moorhead July 24-27.
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“Finishing around .500 in the district isn’t too bad,” Mitch McLeod said. “I don’t know if we’ll have our full team back by then, but if our pitchers are throwing the ball over the plate, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
Post 15 results - Detroit Lakes at Gopher Classic in Minneapolis, Friday-Saturday, July 12-13
DL 012 021 0 – 6 10 1
East Ridge 131 002 x – 7 8 1
Detroit Lakes
AB R H Bi
R. Cihak 2 1 1 1
A. Eiter 4 1 3 0
K. McLeod 4 1 1 0
T. Magnuson 3 1 2 1
A. Matter 3 1 2 1
R. Johnson 1 1 0 0
S. Velde 3 0 0 1
K. Schumacher 1 0 0 0
S. Voz 1 0 1 0
Kai McLeod 3 0 0 0
J. Lyngaas 1 0 0 0
Total 26 6 10 4
3B: K. McLeod… 2B: Voz, Matter
DL 012 000 0 – 3 9 0
Eagan 020 003 x – 5 5 1
Detroit Lakes
AB R H Bi
Cihak 3 0 1 0
Eiter 4 0 1 0
K. McLeod 4 1 1 0
Magnuson 4 2 3 0
R. Johnson 1 0 0 0
Matter 3 1 2 2
Voz 2 0 1 1
C. Johnson 2 0 0 0
Lyngaas 3 0 0 0
Total 26 4 9 3
2B: Magnuson, Matter
DL 002 002 0 – 4 9 0
Valley Spring 000 123 x – 6 4 0
Detroit Lakes
AB R H Bi
Cihak 2 0 0 0
Eiter 4 0 1 2
K. McLeod 4 1 1 1
Magnuson 3 0 2 1
Matter 3 0 2 0
Voz 4 0 0 0
Velde 4 1 1 0
C. Johnson 2 1 1 0
Lyngaas 1 1 1 0
Total 27 4 9 4
3B: K. McLeod… 2B: Magnuson
