Lakeville Out-Hits Elko, But Loses 8-5

Justin Hahn, Jeff Farr and Trent Larson greet Josh Storm at the plate after his two-run homer.

It has been one crazy year so far for the Athletics, losing three all-stars going into the season, and then struggling to get enough players for many games, but probably the most frustrating at times has been the officiating. No one likes to hang a poor game on officiating because both teams play with the same umps, but as anyone who has been around the game of baseball knows, the calls can often get lopsided and be most frustrating to overcome for at least one team on the field. The last time that Lakeville and Elko met, it was Elko that saw the goofy end of blue, but on Tuesday night at Fredrickson Field it was Lakeville's turn to try and make sense of it all.

First off, let's be fair up front, Elko played a good game and the Athletics tip their cap to the Express for battling the good fight. The Express are well coached and always play hard. It's always a good game when these two teams get together under the lights, but Tuesday night was a literal test in patience for coaches and players to avoid getting tossed over officiating disputes.

The Athletics started the game with just nine players. Derek Hahn was out with a broken foot, Kevin George was sick, and others were out due to work and business obligations, so it wasn't a game where Lakeville could afford to argue any calls and risk a player getting tossed. Still, the Lakeville patience was tested to the limit with calls that were so unbelievable, it would take this reporter an entire column just to document the circus that took place between the lines. Suffice to say, it would simply take too long to run down the list of missed calls. Besides, that's the game of baseball. It is what it is and you just play with the hand you're dealt.

C'est la vie.

Trent Larson struck out nine in five innings on the mound.

Let's get right to the game and work our way to the most sordid moment of the night. Trent Larson started on the mound for Lakeville. After a scoreless 1st for both teams, Larson got into a jam in the bottom of the 2nd by giving up four hits, the biggest being a three-run blast to left-center. A wild pitch allowed one more run to score, giving Elko a 4-0 lead.

Lakeville fought back in the top of the 3rd with a two out rally. Pitcher Larson pounded out the second of three hits on the night with a shot between 2nd and 1st. Athletics 1st baseman Josh Storm came to the plate and smoked the first pitch he saw over the right field fence with a line drive two-run homer. Third baseman Jeff Farr crushed a well hit ball to left, but it found leather for the third out, yet Lakeville had cut the Elko lead to 4-2 on Storm's sizzling home run.

Goodbye. Josh Storm smoked the first pitch he saw in the 3rd inning for a two-run bomb to right.

The Express fought back for another run in the bottom of the 3rd to make the score 5-2.

The top of the 4th is where the proverbial shinola hit the umpiring fan. Second baseman Justin Hahn reached on an error by the shortstop. Catcher Brent Johnson pounded a double to the left center gap, the second of four hits on the night, scoring Hahn to cut Elko's lead to two. Centerfielder Eric Watts popped out to the 2nd baseman for the first out. Right fielder Ben Elliott picked up a full count walk before left fielder Nick Daniels beat out a hard to handle hopper to the 3rd baseman for a hit to load the bases. Shortstop Eddie Golom took a seven pitch at bat, but was called on strikes for the 2nd out before hot hitting number three hitter Trent Larson came to the plate with the sacks juiced and opportunity knocking for a big inning for Lakeville.

Larson was in the hole with an 0-2 count before what blatantly appeared to be a foul ball off of home plate. The ball rolled a foot or two in front of the dish, but the home plate umpire immediately called it a foul ball. The Express protested, fielding the ball and stepping on home plate. They then asked blue to check with the field ump. The field umpire shrugged his shoulders and clearly said that he did not see the ball. He had no idea what had happened. The interesting part was that the home plate umpire, who clearly called the ball foul, then went to check with an official who admitted that he did not see the play. After conferring for half a moment, the home blue signaled out number three and the Lakeville bench erupted.

Due to their short numbers, coaches and players had to refrain from carrying the protest too far, for fear of an ejection and a possible game forfeit. Needless to say, it was a decisive and tough moment in the game for Lakeville.

Coach Doug Johnson refrains himself by walking away as the umpires try to figure out their call.

The Express came back in the bottom of the 4th to score another run on one hit, making the score 6-3.

The 5th was scoreless for both teams, but Larson left after 101 pitches, scattering 8 hits, but with nine strike outs in five innings on the hill.

Jeff Farr came on to pitch the 6th and 7th with just two days rest, allowing two hits and two runs, both in the 6th inning. Elko led at that point 8-3.

The Athletics battled for another run in the 7th. Eddie Golom hit a bouncer up the middle for a single. Trent Larson came to the plate and received a wild pitch, moving Golom to 2nd. Larson then grounded out on a 6-3 play for the first out of the inning, but moving Golom to 3rd base. Josh Storm hit a U3 grounder for the second out, but scored Golom on the play for an 8-4 score. Jeff Farr followed by drilling a hard hit single to center, but a subsequent 4-3 groundout ended the inning with Farr stranded at 1st.

Nick Daniels came on to pitch the 8th and shut down the heart of the Elko order, getting the 3, 4 and 5 hitters on two groundouts and a fly-out, tossing just nine pitches in the inning.

Lakeville fought back in the top of the 9th to score again. Daniels led off with a walk and then advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch to Golom, who then hit into a 6-3 groundout with Daniels taking 3rd. Trent Larson collected his third hit of the night with a single to shallow right, scoring Daniels on the play, but Larson was caught rounding 1st base too far on a quick throw from the right fielder for the second out. A following groundout ended the game at 8-5 with a frustrating loss for the Athletics.

Defensive plays of the game came from Justin Hahn who had four put outs from 2nd base, right fielder Ben Elliott who cut off a ball to the gap in the 4th, and centerfielder Eric Watts who made a couple of nice running catches in the 5th and the 8th.

Lakeville out-hit Elko 12 hits to 10 on the night.

Collecting hits for the Athletics were...

• Brent Johnson 4 for 4, 2B, RBI
• Trent Larson 3 for 5, R, RBI, FC
• Nick Daniels 1 for 4, R, BB
• Justin Hahn 1 for 4, R
• Jeff Farr 1 for 4
• Josh Storm 1 for 5, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Eddie Golum 1 for 5, R

The next game for Lakeville is Wednesday night on the road at Eagan at 7pm at Goat Hill Park.