Lakes baseball is off to a hot start this spring. After finishing 2023 12-17-1 and .500% in conference, they’ve sprinted out of the gate, only giving up an average of 2.7 runs per game. A 3-0 start to the season boosted morale for their annual spring break trip to Branson, MO, in which they won 2 out of 3 games, taking down some teams they’ve lost to in the previous season. This successful trip brought their record to 5-1, and set up for an opening conference series against Antioch.
After taking game 1 against arch rival Antioch 4-2, the Eagles matched up for the second of a three-game series on their home turf. Winning this series is vital for the continued success for the team this year. “Antioch has always given us a hard time and handed us some losses,” said senior relief pitcher Evan Dahl. In last year’s season, the Sequoits took two out of three games from the Eagles, and finished with eight more wins on the season.
An important side of baseball is the mental and physical side, as it’s important for teams to stay conditioned and prepared, but also to not dwell and think about any bad performances. “We were just trying to take it day by day because we had a lot of games that week,” said Lucier. “You know, win or loss, we just kinda wanted to take the game as it was for the day… we didn’t want to linger on anything too much, and come back fresh for the next game.”
The Eagles put starting pitcher Owen Klosinski on the mound for game 2. It was a slow start for the Eagles, as the Sequoits jumped on them early, scoring 4 runs in three innings. The Eagles also weren’t getting much help on the offensive side, as the bats went cold to begin a pivotal game.
That all changed in the bottom half of the third inning. “I think Antioch just kinda got sloppy, and they made a couple errors, and that’s kinda how we got our lead,” said Lucier. Lakes stormed ahead, putting up 8 runs in one inning. The tides changed dramatically after that, as the Eagles only gave up 1 run for the last 4 innings of the game. “When we’re down, we do a great job at getting the energy and performance back to standard,” said Dahl.
Klosinski gave the Eagles 3.2 innings pitched(IP), but the real spotlight from the mound was Dahl, who came in and basically shut down the Sequoits from the point he took the mound. “My performance definitely gave me a confidence boost and let me know that if I play my game and do what I can do, I’ll be great,” said Dahl. The Eagles senior gave them 3.1 innings pitched, allowing 1 hit and not allowing a single run, as well as striking out 2 batters. “I’ve always had the mentality of being confident, but not cocky,” said Dahl.
The Eagles then scored four runs, going up seven on their rivals, and took game 2 of the Crosstown Classic, meaning they got revenge from last season. They had the chance to sweep the Sequoits that next Thursday, but fell short in walk-off fashion. Even with the loss, the comeback in game 2 fueled the boys to continued success, as the play for heavy conference implications today at home against Wauconda.
