Faribault Lakers Hammer Five Home Runs in Opener

The Faribault Lakers defeated St. Benedict 21-11 today in 8 innings to open their shortened 2020 season.  Dylan Valentyn clubbed two home runs and a double while collecting 8 RBI to lead a 16 hit attack.

Joe Grote, Matt Lane and Jake Stocker had the other round trippers in a game that looked like was going to end after 7 innings due to the 10 run rule.  But give the Saints credit they battled to extend it another inning in a ballpark where no lead is secure.

The dimensions are a pitcher's nightmare with 300 feet down the left field line and 241 down the right field line.  There is some extension to the right field fence but no extension down the left field line.  St. Benedict also cranked 3 solo shots in the game that saw the Lakers use 5 pitchers and Saints 4 pitchers.

Egan Bonde started the game for Faribault and had a 9-2 lead with two outs in the bottom of the second inning when he was replaced by Joe Grote.  Bonde opened the second with back to back walks.  He did have to sit a long  time while his team was hitting in the top of the inning. 13 batters came to the plate.

The Lakers scored 9 runs in the top of the second.  Following successive errors to open the inning there was a hit batter to load the bases.  Tyler Francis then smacked a 2 run single.  Following the first out Matt Lane was walked for the second time in as many at bats.  Grote had a RBI single before Valentyn hit a grand slam to make it 7-0.

Porter Sartor was walked.  Faribault had it's second out followed by a Jake Stocker two run home run.  The Lakers scored in all but the first and sixth innings.  The Saints had runs in seven of the eight innings.

Grote, Stocker and Francis each had 3 RBI in the lopsided Faribault win.

In addition to Bonde and Grote, Tyler Francis, Porter Sartor and Matt Lane threw for the Lakers.  The Saints had 15 hits.

Each team in the D-R-S is playing the other league opponents once for their conference season so every win is huge in determining playoff seeding.

The official box score had 4 errors for each team.

Faribault has their home opener Sunday, July 5th at 2:00 p.m. against the New Prague Orioles.  St. Benedict travels to Montgomery on Wednesday, July 8th.