Faribault Lakers Miscues Factor in Loss to St. Benedict

The scoreboard at the end of Friday night's game showed the Faribault Lakers committed four errors in a 4-3 loss to the Saints of St. Benedict at Bell Field.

The game was a scorebook keeper's challenge for sure.

Jeremy Heitkamp started the game on the mound for the Saints and Danny Bomsta threw for the Lakers.

St. Benedict scored in the first inning with two outs thanks in part to the sun,  Following a two out double by Michael Pauly, Matt Morenson hit a ground ball to third baseman Zander Fitzsimmons, Lakers first baseman Nate Rost struggled to see the ball due to the location of the sun and because there were two outs Pauly scored.

Typically a ball lost in the sun is not ruled an error but a hit is granted. Can you really give the pitcher an earned run when it would have been the third out of the inning? So I put an error in my scorebook.

In hindsight, I took off the error and ruled the run was not earned with the notation ball lost in sun next to the Morenson single.

Faribault tied the game in the bottom of the 4th inning when Danny Pierce opened the inning with a single.  He advanced to second base on a wild pitch.  Matt Lane's towering fly ball to right with one out allowed Pierce to tag and advance to third base.  Nate Rost collected a infield hit to score Pierce.

The Lakers went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the 5th inning when Ryan Archambault was walked to start the inning.  With two outs Blake Langerud singled followed by a double by Pierce scoring Archambault, Langerud attempted to score on the play also but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Heitkamp somehow was injured on the play and left the game with what appeared to be a dislocated finger.

Heitkamp threw 60 pitches in his five innings of work, 41 strikes, with 3 strikeouts, 1 walk and 4 hits allowed, 2 runs, both earned.

Matthias Duevel replaced Heitkamp on the mound. He pitched the 6th and 7th innings with 35 pitches thrown, 20 strikes with 1 strikeout, 1 walk, 3 hits and 1 run allowed

St. Benedict scored two runs in the seventh inning to take the lead. Andrew Huss hit a single to start the inning.  Following a out Joe Pesta was hit by a pitch.  Patrick Huisman pinch hit and delivered a RBI single.

Nolan Eischens hit a grounder that looked to be a double play but Eischens was safe when the relay was thrown wide of the bag.

Typically an error is not given on a relay of a double play attempt if the runner does not advance to second base because you can't assume the double play should have been turned.

I put an error in my scorebook though (after the game) because it would have been the third out for the pitcher with a run scoring on the play and the throw was wide.

No assumption in my mind, there was a physical error on the play.

In the bottom of the 7th Faribault would tie the game .  Archambault started the inning with a single.  Dylan Valentyn singled but the Saints turned a double play.  Langerud then hit a 1-2 count pitch for a single to score Archambault.

Bomsta left the game after seven innings with 99 pitches thrown, 66 strikes, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, hit batter, 6 hits allowed.  3 runs allowed, 1 earned.

Joe Grote came in to pitch in the top of the 8th inning.  An error opened the inning allowing Pauly to gain first base.   He tried to steal second base but was thrown out by Valentyn.  A strikeout and pop out ended the inning.

In the bottom of the 8th Matthew Morenson came in to pitch for the Saints.

Following a fly out Lane had a 9 pitch battle before hitting a smash down the first base line that was snared by Andrew Huss playing close to the line to prevent an extra base hit.

A strikeout ended the Lakers frame.

In the top of the 9th another error opened the inning when Andrew Huss hit a ground ball to shortstop.  Huss then went to second base on a wild pitch during a strikeout.

Joe Pesta hit a 3-2 count pitch back up the middle for a single to score Huss.

In the bottom of the 9th inning Jack Jandro hammered a ball off the fence for a double to start the inning .  Hunter Nelson executed a sacrifice bunt to get him to third base.

Morenson got back to back strikeouts to end the game and pick up the win.  He threw 29 pitches, 24 strikes over two innings with 1 hit allowed, 3 strikeouts.

Grote was tagged with the loss going two innings with 37 pitches thrown, 26 strikes, 3 strikeouts, 1 hit allowed, an unearned run.

Faribault is now 12-12, St. Benedict 9-11.  The Lakers host DRS League leading St. Patrick 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.

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