Bobcats Shutout Athletics 6-0

Josh Spitzack pitches in the 1st inning.

It was a hot muggy day for baseball, with the only thing cool being the Lakeville bats. Burnsville pitched well and held the Athletics to just two hits on the afternoon to take game one of the CVL playoffs.

Josh Spitzack took the ball for Lakeville and pitched five complete, scattering six hits and just two runs, but the Lakeville bats could generate any offense to support his efforts.

The Bobcats got on the board early with one run on two hits in the 1st to take a 1-0 lead.

Eric Watts rips a shot down the left field line for the first hit for Lakeville in the 3rd inning.

The Athletics didn't get a hit until the top of the 3rd inning when left fielder Eric Watts came to the plate with one out and smoked the first pitch he saw down the left field line for what looked like a sure double, but his Burnsville counterpart cut the ball off quickly to hold him to a single. A fly-out in foul territory and a groundout ended the inning with Watts stranded at 1st.

Lakeville was set down 1-2-3 in the 4th and 5th innings on solid pitching from the Bobcats. Burnsville then jumped back on the board for one more run in the bottom half of the inning on a home run to left to take a 2-0 lead at that point.

Spitzack left the game after 5 innings and 83 pitches on the afternoon. Jeff Farr came on in relief to finish the game, pitching the 6th, 7th and 8th innings. He was tagged for six hits and four runs, all of them unearned with three defensive errors behind him.

Jeff Farr gets set to pick up the 2nd hit for Lakeville in the 8th.

Farr made an effort to help his own cause by driving a 1-0 pitch up the middle for Lakevilles' second hit of the game. Brent Johnson entered the game at 3rd base and knocked a mile-high pop-up in front of the plate for a fielder's choice as Farr was forced at 2nd. Two more outs ended the inning with pinch runner John Degerness at first for Johnson.

Trent Larson led off the 9th by scorching a rocket to center, only to be caught for the first out. First baseman Josh Storm bounced a single safely up the middle but a subsequent fly-out and ground out ended the game with Storm stranded.

Justin Hahn in the hole, John Degerness on deck and Jeff Farrr at the plate.

Defensive highlights for the game... Left fielder Eric Watts had a pretty good day in the field, making a nice catch at the fence in the 2nd. He also tracked a double to the left-center gap in the 8th and made a nice relay throw to shortstop Trent Anderson who then fired a bullet strike to the plate to get the runner. Watts also had a 7-4 assist in the 6th. Josh Spitzack started a nice 1-6-3 double-play in the 3rd. John Degerness hooked up with Trent Larson for a 9-6-5 putout in the 7th. Larson also pulled off a nifty U6-3 double-play in the 8th inning.

Catcher Derek Hahn has a word with pitcher Jeff Farr.

Burnsville out-hit Lakeville 12 to 3 for the evening.

Collecting hits for the Athletics were...

• Eric Watts 1 for 2
• Jeff Farr 1 for 3
• Josh Storm 1 for 4

The Athletics next playoff game is Tuesday night at Alimagnet field at 7:30 in a must-win contest versus the Eagan Bandits in the double elimination CVL tourney.

Justin Hahn and Josh Storm play in to catch the run at home.

Trent Larson at the plate in the 9th.