Ethan Patrick (l) and Sammy Martinez (r) From Staff Reports There is always a little added pressure when a baseball team is in the playoff hunt and faces off with a last-place team. If you win, you were supposed to. If you lose, it’s a disaster. La Salle almost suffered a devastating loss on Tuesday […]
Ethan Patrick (l) and Sammy Martinez (r)
From Staff Reports
There is always a little added pressure when a baseball team is in the playoff hunt and faces off with a last-place team.
If you win, you were supposed to.
If you lose, it’s a disaster.
La Salle almost suffered a devastating loss on Tuesday at St. Paul.
The Lancers led 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh when the Swordsmen scored five seventh-inning runs off James Barnard and Zane Lindeman.
But La Salle showed its mettle by manufacturing an eighth-inning run and defeated St. Paul, 9-8, in a Del Rey League contest.
Grant Fosselman allowed just three runs (two earned) over 6 innings and scattered eight hits and struck out two batters.
Fosselman, though, had nothing to show for his effort, but La Salle narrowly avoided a collapse that could have had a rippling effect.
Baseball is a very humbling game, just ask Zane Lindeman.
Less than a week ago, he threw a no-hitter on 70 pitches, but on Tuesday the junior felt terrible for letting his teammates down.
He allowed three runs, and as cruel as the Baseball Gods can be, Lindeman ended up picking up the win after blowing the save.
Ethan Patrick went 3 for 3 with a home run, two doubles, scored three runs and drove in two more.
Patrick doubled in the top of the eighth inning and was moved to third on a bunt from freshman Mark Daley.
Justin Zuniga’s sac fly drove in Patrick for what ended up being the winning run.
Lindeman then went back on the mound and got two of the three outs via strikeout.
Sammy Martinez hit a two-run blast, doubled, scored twice and drove in two runs.
Justin Zuniga had two hits and drove in three runs.
Noah Zate went for 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored.
La Salle will host St. Paul at the Arcadia County Park on Thursday to complete their two-game series.
Quotable:
La Salle coach Mike Parisi: “That was a great Del Rey League game between two schools who fought to the end. I’m just happy La Salle came out on top. It keeps our playoff hopes alive.”
La Salle shortstop Ethan Patrick: “Today’s game was full of ups and downs. The offense did a very good job getting some run support for our pitchers. Unfortunately, we had a tough 7th inning causing us to go into extras. We never stopped fighting and got the job done in the 8th. It was a huge team win and momentum builder going in to Thursday’s game.”
La Salle DH Sammy Martinez: “Today’s game was definitely a wild one. Playing at St. Paul is never easy, that’s three games in a row (including last year) where we went into extra innings there. I think we did a good job of getting runs for our pitchers today and we had a pretty good lead going into the bottom of the 7th, but unfortunately we gave up 5 runs to let them tie it. As soon as we got out of it, I knew we would be fine, though, because of how we were playing earlier in the game. We didn’t give up and executed and we came out with the W. Looking back on the game, everyone did something pretty memorable to contribute to this W. Leaving this game on a high note, in my opinion, should give us some momentum leading to thursday’s game.”
La Salle pitcher Zane Lindeman: “I certainly didn’t deserve the win, because I let my teammates down. I am so thankful that they picked me up and earned a really important league victory. This game (baseball) can be very humbling.”
Win: Zane Lindeman
Loss: Julian Sansores
Box Score:
La Salle: 2-2-0-1-1-2-0-1-(9)
St. Paul: 0-0-2-0-1-0-5-0-(8)
Del Rey League Standings:
Bishop Amat (14-8 overall, 6-0 in league)
Serra (12-8, 5-3)
La Salle (13-9, 4-3)
Cathedral (12-7, 2-4)
St. Paul (10-14, 0-7)
