Bobcats Pounce On Athletics

Daniels, Larson, Storm, Watts, and Hauck greet Kevin George (black helmet) after home run blast.

The Athletics were short players on Saturday, but then, so was Burnsville. One thing Lakeville may have been shorter on was luck and timely hitting. The Athletics hit the ball well in many at bats, with Trent Larson, Jeff Farr, Brent Johnson, and Eric Watts all smoking well hit balls, but unfortunately right at 'em. Farr alone was robbed of two well hit bombs, but each ended up finding leather. Such was the day for the Athletics hitters. Combine that with three double plays that they hit into and you can understand how a team that banged out nine hits was only able to manage just two runs for the day. Burnsville had just one hit more, yet tallied 11 runs by collecting key hits when they needed them the most.

Jeff Farr casts a watchful eye as he gets set to pick off another runner at 1st base.

Jeff Farr started on the rubber for Lakeville and pitched well, but ran into trouble in the 4th inning, giving up four hits and three runs. Two wild pitches that got away from the crafty right hander didn't help his cause. He came back in the 5th and shut out the Bobcats with no hits. In his five innings of work, he gave up just one hit in the 1st, none in the 2nd, one in the 3rd, and none in the 5th. It was that pesky 4th inning that blemished an otherwise good performance.

Trent Larson pounds out the first of two hits on the day with a single in the 1st inning.

Lakeville got on the board first with a lead-off home run blast to right from 3rd baseman Kevin George, his second of the season. Jeff Farr then came to the plate and wasted no time in shooting the first pitch he saw past 1st base into right field. Catcher Brent Johnson also liked the first pitch he saw, hammering a well hit ball into left that unfortunately was caught for out number one. Left fielder Eric Watts stroked the second pitch he saw up the middle for a base hit, but an ensuing strikeout out and ground out ended the inning with Farr and Watts left on base.

Kevin George is greeted at home plate by Jeff Farr after George's 2nd inning solo home run.

Burnsville came back in the top of the 3rd to pick up one run to tie the game at one each.

The 4th was the three-run inning for the Bobcats. Both teams were scoreless in the 5th.

Burnsville greeted relief pitcher Nick Daniels with a triple past diving centerfielder Eric Watts. A sac-fly to Watts on the next at bat gave the Bobcats a 6-1 lead.

Nick Daniels coils to fire a pitch in the 6th inning.

Daniels pitched two innings for Lakeville and proved he will be a nice addition to the pitching staff. He threw two innings in relief, allowing just one run on one hit.

In the 6th inning, the Athletics jumped back on the board for another run. After a lead-off pop-up to the 1st baseman to start the inning, first baseman Josh Storm reached on an error by lining a shot off the 2nd baseman's glove. Kevin George came back to the plate and narrowly missed his second home run of the game by pounding another blast to the right field fence, just hitting a foot below the yellow fence topper. He picked up a double on the hit, moving Storm to 3rd base. Jeff Farr then smoked his second solid hit ball into the left center gap, but it was caught for a sacrifice fly that scored Storm. Brent Johnson hit another ball well, but right at the left fielder to end the inning. The score after six was 5-2 Bobcats.

After a scoreless 7th inning for both teams, pitcher Ben Elliott made his second appearance of the season as he took to the mound in the 8th. He gave up four runs on three hits, with two hit batters, a wild pitch and an error, adding to a four run Burnsville inning that put the game out of reach at 9-2.

With Lakeville holding back two pitchers for Tuesday and Wednesday, Kevin George gamely took the hill in the 9th for his second mound visit of the year. He didn't allow a hit, but three hit batters and an infield error unfortunately added to two more Burnsville runs. An errant strike zone from blue didn't help much either.

Brent Johnson hammers a full count pitch for a long single in the 9th.

The Athletics came out swinging in the bottom of the 9th as Brent Johnson pounded a ball into the right center gap but was held to a single on quick fielding from the Burnsville defense. Eric Watts scorched a well hit ball to the left-center gap, but a nice catch from the left fielder gave Lakeville its first out. Jake Hauck, who played left field for the first time ever, stroked a hit past the shortstop to keep things going for the Athletics. Ben Elliot popped up to the 2nd baseman for an infield fly rule second out. Nick Daniels knocked a single through the hole at short to load the bases for Lakeville. Shortstop Trent Larson was looking for his third hit of the day, but hit into a fielder's choice to the shortstop who forced Daniels at 2nd for the final out of the game.

Defensive highlights in the game for the Athletics came from 3rd baseman Kevin George who started a nice U5-3 double-play in the 1st inning, Trent Larson who made a nice play at short and then alertly threw home to get a runner in the 4th, and Jeff Farr for picking off his umpteenth victim at 1st base in the 4th. Perhaps the niftiest play of the day came on a pinball play that bounced off 3rd baseman Kevin George and ricocheted to the left to shortstop Tent Larson who quickly threw to 1st baseman Josh Storm for the scoop and the out.

Burnsville out-hit Lakeville with 10 hits to 9 for the day.

Collecting hits for the Athletics were...

• Kevin George 2 for 2, HR, 2b, RBI
• Trent Larson 2 for 5
• Jeff Farr 1 for 3, RBI, Sac-Fly, FC
• Eric Watts 1 for 3, BB
• Nick Daniels 1 for 4, BB
• Brent Johnson 1 for 4
• Jake Hauck, 1 for 4, FC

The next game for Lakeville is on the road Tuesday night against Elko at Fredrickson Field at 7:30.