Blue Earth Pirates’ pitcher Taylor Davids is shown above pitching against Minnesota Lake earlier this year. Davids pitched three innings in the Pirates latest game against Hanska, which the Lakers won 8-7.
A late-inning rally by the Blue Earth Pirates tied their baseball game against the host Hanska Lakers, on June 20, at 7-7. The Lakers held the Pirates scoreless in the top of the 10th inning and then scored the winning run in the bottom of the inning for an 8-7 victory.
Blue Earth jumped on the scoreboard first with three runs in the top of the first inning.
A walk to Talan Priester and a single by Parker Meyers put runners on first and second base. A line-drive single by Brandyn Olsen drove in Priester with the first run of the game and advanced Meyers to third base.
The Pirates’ next batter, Hunter Bleess, reached on an error by the pitcher which allowed Meyers to scurry home with Blue Earth’s second run of the game while Olsen checked in at second base.
Kaylan Legred reached on a fielder’s choice with Bleess forced out at second base and Olsen moving to third. Legred then stole second base to move two baserunners into scoring position.
Following a line out by Tanner Nawrocki, Olsen scored the Pirates’ third run on an error by the Lakers’ shortstop on a ball hit by Taylor Davids.
Hanska evened the score at 3-3 when they pushed three runs across the plate in the bottom of the third inning. The Lakers then scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead over the Pirates.
The top the of sixth inning saw Blue Earth score three more runs to go back on top 6-5. With the bases full of Pirates, Olsen smacked a double to center field that brought home all three runners.
Blue Earth’s lead was shortlived, however. Hanska scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 6-6.
Neither team scored in the seventh inning, but the Lakers managed to get one run home in the bottom of the eighth inning to go ahead of the Pirates 7-6.
Blue Earth extended the game when Legred scored with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.
The Pirates held the Lakers without a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings where Hanska claimed the victory.
Taylor Davids pitched the first three innings for Blue Earth and allowed three earned runs on five hits while walking two batters and striking out one.
Logan Jahnke took over on the mound to start the bottom of the fourth inning and was charged with giving up three runs (one earned). Hanska got four hits off Jahnke while the Pirates’ pitcher walked three and struck out three Lakers’ batters.
Kade Hobbs took the loss for Blue Earth. He pitched three and two thirds innings and gave up two earned runs on six hits. He walked one batter and struck out six.
Olsen continued hitting the ball well for the Pirates. He was 4-for-5 with two doubles and four runs batted in. Meyers was 3-for-5 at the plate while Priester and Davids were each 2-for-5.
Blue Earth’s overall record now stands at eight wins and five losses.