Lane Strikes Out 14 in Faribault Win Over New Market

The Faribault Lakers picked up a 5-4 win over New Market at Bell Field in Faribault on Wednesday night despite some sloppy play in the field.

My book had the Lakers with five errors in the game and New Market with three errors.

Only two of the Muskies' runs were earned, and it seemed most innings Faribault ace Matt Lane had to pitch with runners in scoring position. Lane threw 139 pitches, 93 for strikes, and struck out 14 New Market batters.

Lane fanned every batter in the Muskies order but the No. 8 hitter. There was only one inning he didn't register a strike out. That was the sixth inning, which was also his easiest in terms of pitches thrown. Lane recorded a mow 'em down inning in the second and recorded all three outs via strike out in the fifth inning.

New Market ace and Faribault High School graduate Nate Rost exited the game after five innings while throwing 98 pitches, 66 for strikes. Rost struck out four batters and walked three while giving up all of Faribault's five hits in the game.

The Muskies had six hits but left seven runners on base and six in scoring position. The Lakers left eight runners and five in scoring position.

Faribault is now 16-2 and the New Market is 11-5. The Lakers beat the Muskies in New Market 10-1 Sunday.

Faribault got on the board in the first inning when Mitch Johnson clubbed a one-out single and following an error on a Joe Grote hit ball, the two runners advanced a base on a wild pitch.

Matt Lane hit a deep fly ball for a sacrifice fly RBI and Jack Helgeson collected a base hit to right field and the Lakers were up 2-0.

New Market scored their first run in the third inning after an error opened the inning on a ball hit by the No. 8 hitter; Lane walked the No. 9 man.

The run scored on a strikeout when the Laker catcher dropped the ball and threw to first base to record the out. The runner from third came flying home and the relay from first to home was ruled late by the umpire.

Faribault scored their final three runs in the fifth with lead-off hitter Blake Langerud starting the inning with a single. Mitch Johnson executed the sacrifice bunt. Grote coaxed a walk and Matt Lane knocked in a run on a fielder's choice.

Jack Helgeson followed with an RBI single. After the second out was recorded, Porter Sartor smacked a double off the elevated left field fence but was stranded in scoring position.

New Market added two runs in the seventh inning when Tyler Bertram started the inning with a single.

After a strikeout, the No. 8 hitter was walked during an eight-pitch at-bat and the No. 9 hitter popped out.

It looked like Lane might power his way out of another jam but lead-off hitter Kyle Hinkemeier brought two runners home with a double in the left center gap to make the score 5-3 Lakers.

Lane went into the final inning with 125 pitches thrown and the first batter singled following a 2-0 count, the No. 8 hitter was safe on a error.

Lane then got one of the more interesting ways to record an out. No. 9 hitter David Stewart scalded a ball to the feet of first baseman Jake Stocker, ball caromed perfectly to Lane and he ran to first to record the out. Meanwhile a runner scored to make it 5-4.

Lane struck out the next batter and New Market all-star Scott Lyden recorded the final out when his sinking liner was caught by second baseman Porter Sartor.