Lakers Win Region 3C, Blue Earth 4C and Waseca 5C

The Faribault Lakers came from behind again Sunday in their 7-5 Region 3C Championship clincher against the St. Patrick Irish at Bell Field in Faribault.  Starting pitcher Jack Helgeson admitted to KDHL he had some nerves with the largest crowd seen at Bell Field to date this season and the title on the line and walked the first two men he faced.  St. Patrick would score a run in the first and hold that 1-0 lead into the 5th inning when Faribault would score with some clutch two out hitting.  Adam Kline would single to start the rally and stole second, then Jack Helgeson singled him in to tie the game and Blake Langerud was hit by a pitch and both came home on the double clubbed by Joe Grote.  The Lakers would add three more runs in the 6th inning, see the Irish collect three runs in the top of the 7th to make it 6-4 then in the bottom of 7th Dylan Valentyn had an RBI single scoring Matt Lane from second to make it 7-4.  In the top of the 8th St. Patrick would collect another run to make it 7-5.  Jack Helgeson was the winning pitcher and Matt Stocker came in to collect the save.  The biggest inning for Faribault may have been defensively in the fourth when St. Patrick loaded the bases and with one out Dylan Valentyn pounced on a squib hit in front of the plate, stepped on it and threw to first for the inning ending double play.  Faribault opens State Tournament action on Sunday, August 24 at 7:30pm in Belle Plaine against the winner of the Delano vs. Luverne game which is played on Sunday, August 17 at noon in Jordan.  The game will be on KDHL or POWER 96 Radio.  Tune in for the 7:40am sports Monday and we'll let you know where to tune.  The Lakers drafted LHP Dusty Feneis from Union Hill, RHP Rick Bell from Union Hill and RHP Dusty Beckius from New Prague to bolster their pitching. St. Patrick will play Saturday, August 16 at 1:30pm in Belle Plaine against Richmond and drafted John Krocak of Montgomery, Matt Beckius of Union Hill and Jake Schmidt of Prior Lake.  St. Benedict out of Region 3C opens in Jordan on Saturday, August 16 at 5pm against Loretto and drafted Eric Steinhoff of Veseli, Dan Meger of Union Hill and Jeff Dietz of Union Hill.  New Market plays Saturday, August 16 at 11am in Jordan against Mora and drafted Ben Morrison of Prior Lake, Brad Schoenrock of Prior Lake and Mike Flicek of Montgomery.  Blue Earth wins Region 4C 5-3 over Hampton and plays Friday, August 22 at 7:30pm in Belle Plaine against the winner of next weekend's encounter between Spring Hill and Fort Ripley.  Runner-up Hampton opens Saturday, August 16 in Jordan at 1:30pm against Fairmont and picked up LHP Brett Gwaltney of Lake City and RHP Brent Vollbrecht of Morristown and RHP Derek Masberg of Waterville.  Cannon Falls opens State action Saturday, August 16 at 11am in Belle Plaine against Nisswa. Waseca cruises over Owatonna in Region 5C title game 13-3 and plays Saturday, August 23 at 11am in Jordan against the Nisswa versus Cannon Falls winner.  Let the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament begin next weekend in Jordan and Belle Plaine!

Lakers Win Region 3C