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Lakers strand 15 in semifinals loss to Saints

By Travis Rosenau 5 min read

NEW PRAGUE - The Hanska Lakers were able to get at least one runner on in every inning but the fourth on Saturday evening at Memorial Park. But much to the delight of the Elrosa Saints, they struggled to get those runners home.

Guided by Greenwald Cubs draftee pitcher Grant Moscho's seven shutout innings, the Saints earned a 6-2 win over the Lakers in a Class C Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament semifinals game.

The win moved the Saints on to the Class C championship game against Fairmont on Sunday night, while the Lakers' dominant run came to an end.

The Lakers stranded 15 runners in the game.

The Saints stranded their share of runners also with 10 men left on base, but they capitalized with their strong day at the plate and outhit Hanska 13-5.

"Credit to [Moscho], credit to their whole team, it's a good team over there," Lakers manager Chris Koob said. "But I think we just overall at the plate, we just didn't execute in some big spots. I think even defensively a couple spots we didn't execute. Early on some pitches ... we just didn't execute as a team overall. But that Greenwald pitcher was tough, coming down from sidearm is something we haven't really seen. Credit to him, but I think in a few spots we didn't execute to the best of our ability."

Moscho entered in relief of starter Ashton Dingmann, who went one inning and allowed two hits and two runs, one earned, while hitting two batters. Moscho pitched seven shutout innings to get the win, allowing three hits and six walks while striking out seven.

Moscho did get into a jam in the ninth after issuing back-to-back free passes to Chris Knowles and Kevin Larson before hitting Tanner Olson with a pitch to load the bases. Norway Lake-Sunburg Lakers draftee Jared Cortez took over after that and proceeded to get three consecutive strikeouts to end the game.

Derek Wiener led Elrosa at the plate by going 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI, while Luke Illies was 3 for 5 with an RBI and Ethan Mueller was 2 for 5 with a double and two RBIs.

Sam Knowles took the loss for Hanska. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and two walks for five runs, four earned, while striking out one. Milroy Yankees draftee Nathan Deutz pitched the last 4 2/3 innings for Hanska, allowing five hits and no walks for one run while striking out three.

"I think [Sam] pitched all right," Koob said. "Was it his best game? No, but he kept us in the game, and we just didn't get enough big hits around him. Maybe a defensive play here or there, he's a ground-ball pitcher, so you have to make the plays around him, but he kept us in it. Credit to Deutz. Deutz gave us a chance at the end."

Chris Knowles and Brock Wellmann each went 1 for 3 for Hanska, with Chris Knowles adding an RBI.

The Lakers opened the scoring in the first after Sam Knowles was hit by a pitch to lead off and was singled to second by Jake Finstad. An error allowed Chris Knowles to reach and load the bases for Larson, who grounded into a fielder's choice that saw Sam Knowles forced out at home. Another error allowed Tanner Olson to reach and score the first run of the day. Chris Knowles tested the arm of Mueller in center field after a shallow flyout by Brady Mosenden was thrown home to catcher Blaine Fischer, who was able to calmly apply the tag to Chris Knowles for the final out of the inning.

A sac fly by Fischer in the second allowed Wiener to score and tie the game.

The Lakers took the lead back in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI single from Chris Knowles to score Colin Anderson, who singled to lead off the inning.

After a scoreless third, the Saints marched back in the fourth for three runs, one on an RBI single from Fischer and two more on a two-run single from Mueller for a 4-2 lead.

Illies singled into center in the fifth to make it a 5-2 game and the Saints added one more insurance run in the ninth when a Wiener single scored Mueller, who doubled to lead off the inning.

"Obviously, it's not the result we wanted, but I always believe that at the end of the year, you want to be in the position to do it," Koob said. "We were in the position to do it, and like other teams, we came up short. Doesn't mean it wasn't a great season or a successful season; it just didn't end the exact way we wanted it to. It's still a great season and I'm proud as hell of every guy on this team."

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