Lakers lose third straight baseball game

The Shakamak Lakers rallied to climb out of a 9-0 hole with a nine-spot in the top of the sixth inning, but the host Bloomington North Cougars pushed across a single tally in the home half of the inning for the final run of the game. The 10-9 loss drops the Lakers baseball team to 11-5 on the season and marks their third consecutive loss.

Shakamak had a chance to knot the contest once again in the top of the seventh inning after the first two batters reached. But an unsuccessful bunt led to the lead runner getting picked off then two straight pop-ups ended the threat.

"We had chances to push across runs early in the game and there in the last inning as well, but we just couldn't execute some much needed bunts," Laker coach Matt Fougerousse said. "But I was proud of the way the kids battled back after falling behind 9-0 early."

Shakamak squandered an opportunity to plate at least a run in the second inning as they loaded the bases with only one out. But a rare 1-2-3 (pitcher-to-home-to first) double play ended the inning with out scoring.

Bloomington North jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning. The Cougars would then go on to score two more in the third inning on a two-run homer before exploding for six runs in the home half of the fifth.

Tyler Richardson was the starting pitcher for the Lakers, pitching into the fifth inning before giving way to Ben Grissom. Derrick Bennett pitched the sixth inning and suffered the loss on the mound.

"Tyler pitched a pretty good game tonight," Fougerousse said. "I thought that he bounced back really well from his last start, and he just got tired there in the fifth inning."

The sophomore only gave up four hits in his 4 1/3 innings pitched, but was plagued by issuing seven free passes on the night.

Bennett, Grissom and Trevin Wilson led the nine-hit attack for the Lakers with each having two hits apiece. One of Grissom's hit left the yard, for his second homer of the spring.

Jaret May added the only other extra base knock for the Lakers with a two-bagger, and Josh Horton added an RBI single and an RBI after being hit by a pitch in the nine-run sixth inning.

The Lakers will look to end their skid when they play host to Loogootee Friday.

Shakamak 000 009 0 -- 9 9 2

Bloomington North 102 061 x -- 10 9 4

Richardson, Grissom (5), Bennett (6) and Horton; Hurt, Serbin (6), Jackson (7) and Bartlett. W -- Jackson. L -- Bennett, 1-2. 2B -- May (S), Owens 2 (B). 3B -- Walsh (B). HR -- Grissom (S), Schmitt (B), Serfling (B).