Joe Drennan
Sports EditorWednesday marked the end of an eight games in eight days run for the Forest Lake American Legion Post 225 with a 3-2 win over Woodbury.
Forest Lakeís victory was bittersweet for the players because it was also the last game for pitcher Ross Miller who is now on his way to basic training with the Army. Miller pitched six innings in the victory.
ìIt was a typical Ross Miller Game,î Forest Lake head coach Mike Welch said. ìIt was no master piece as he walked six and battled out of trouble the whole game, but our defense was perfect. The boys were playing with a lot of enthusiasm for Ross.î
Helping Miller get the victory, Bobby Hager hit a home run in the third inning. Later in the inning Brian Welch walked then Paul Miron was hit by a pitch. Zach Lund doubled and drove in Welch and Miron.
Last Friday Forest Lake hosted a tournament. In the first game Forest Lake easily defeated Acrade-Phalen. Zach Guttormson pitched a complete game giving up one hit and one walk. Hager went 3-4 in the game with three runs batted in. Miron and Welch both went 2-3 and each scored a run and had an RBI.
In the next game of the tournament Forest Lake beat Minneapolis Hellinic 12-2 in six innings. Paul Miron pitched four innings of shut out baseball before Hager came in in relief for the first time.
ìI was told that he [Hager] pitched once upon a time and itís one of those tournament things where youíre up a couple of runs and you want to save your pitchers,î Welch said. ìHe did a good job for us.î
Nine separate Forest Lake batters had one hit. Hager and Welch scored three times.
Forest Lake played Stillwater in the finals. Stillwater had their ace pitcher on the mound for the game.
Forest Lake was ahead 2-0, but Stillwater scored three runs in the fifth inning and added another in the sixth. Forest Lake tried to come back, but Stillwaterís four runs was enough to beat Forest Lake 4-3.
ìIt was a very good game,î Welch said. ìWe had a big crowd, the perfect atmosphere for baseball. It was a fun game.î
Forest Lake traveled to Inver Grove Heights last Monday where the score was tied 11-11 after nine innings when it got too dark to play.
ìIíd like to finish the game,î Welch said, ìbut itís only so practical to load up and drive for one or two innings. Weíre not satisfied leaving it a tie but I donít know what alternatives there are.î
Miron had a three run home run in the first inning and Jeremy Hanson a three run double.
Forest Lakeís other game of the week was a 14-4 victory over Hastings last Tuesday. Six consecutive hits by Forest Lake generated four runs in the first inning. Guttormson had a three run triple later in the game.
Forest Lakeís next game is Friday at Henry Sibley against Sioux Falls Eeast, SD, at 1:30 p.m.
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