Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

The third and final game between the Forest Lake Brewers and the Champlin LoGators proved to be the last time the Brewers would be in action in 2007.

In the deciding game of the best of three playoff series, the LoGators would hammer home a 13-5 win and move on to the Region 1C Playoffs in Hinckley.

“Yeah, it was disappointing to end the season early,” co-head coach Adam Gallatin stated in an e-mail. “We lost to a pretty good team though.”

On Tuesday, July 31, Champlin would get out early with five runs in both the second and third innings. As the Brewers could only put up two in the top of the third, they were faced with a difficult task of making a huge comeback against the second-seeded LoGators.

“I have to give them credit,” Gallatin said. “They pounded the ball all over, and when they didn’t, they had bloop hits. It was just one of those days where everything they hit fell in.”

After Forest Lake’s starting pitcher Brian Welch was replaced by Eric Zentzis in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Brewers were in a deep hole that would be 11-3 going into the fifth inning.

Eric Goerdt and Paul Miron each had two hits apiece in the game, with Goerdt also scoring two of Forest Lake’s five runs.

One of Miron’s shots just missed clearing the fence for a home run, which was another example of how this wasn’t the Brewers’ night. Even five errors by Champlin couldn’t help Forest Lake get back into this contest.

With the season over, Gallatin highlighted the team’s positive history and targeted next year’s future. The Brewers are a solid 67-43 during the past five years and will have the majority of the current roster returning next spring.

“Hopefully we can add a few more players and get back to making that trip to Hinckley next year,” Gallatin said.

St. Francis joins the LoGators from the Metro Minny in the Region 1C playoffs. Chris Parent and Zach Guttormson of Forest Lake were drafted by St. Francis and will participate in regional play.

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