Rams show up late in first conference defeat of season

Lakeside looked as if a completely different team took the field Tuesday against El Dorado. The Rams needed nearly three full innings to pick up a hit after Monday’s dominant win over Lake Hamilton.

With the Wildcats (14-4, 3-1 5A/6A-6) essentially a new rivalry with former Ram assistant Cannon Lester at the helm, the Rams (15-4, 7-1) struggled from the start, finding their rhythm four innings too late. El Dorado handed Lakeside its first conference loss, 7-5.

“I thought we did a good job getting ahead in the counts,” said El Dorado assistant coach Hayden Dow. “The guys, they really battled at the plate today, took advantage of the good counts we got. We really fought with two strikes today.”

Sophomore pitcher Ethan Bates hit El Dorado leadoff batter Leighton Turberville on the third pitch of the game,

who eventually scored on a passed ball as he slid under the tag by Bates.

“They came out with more energy,” said Lakeside head coach Leighton Hardin. “We go 0-2 on a guy, and then we hit him. He steals second. We don’t catch the ball at second base, so he goes to third. Then, we throw a ball in the dirt and it barely gets away from home plate, and he beats our pitcher.

“They just brought more energy than we did. They played with more energy the entire game. Our guys, for whatever reason, didn’t show up to play until the fourth inning. I’ve got to give El Dorado all the credit in the world. They came wanting to kick our butt, and they did.”

Bates continued to keep control of the game in the second, giving up his first hit to Derek Jobe who scored on a triple to put the Wildcats up, 2-0, after two innings.

The wheels fell off in the third, however, as the Wildcats picked up three unearned runs, as well as a two-RBI home run by Micah Haney to make it 6-0.

“That’s not characteristic of what we do, how we play,” Hardin said. “Hopefully, that’s a one-game thing. We’ll go to work tomorrow and get it corrected in practice.”

El Dorado added an insurance run in the top of the fourth before the Rams were able to get their offense going.

Bates walked and Zac Melugin and Ben Muldoon both singled to load the bases in the bottom of the inning before Jesus Minarez was walked to send Bates home. Remy Bilodeau reached on a fielder’s choice to plate Melugin before Justin Scott was walked with two outs and loaded bases to cut the Ram deficit to 7-3.

The Rams defense got moving in the top of the fifth as it held the Wildcats scoreless throughout the remainder of the game, but Lakeside could only pick up two more in the bottom of the seventh as El Dorado earned the win.

Brady Prince had the most productive day at the plate, going

2-for-4 with one run. Bates went

1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored.

Six days after a dominant performance over Texarkana by Bates, the sophomore ace doled out another 10 strikeouts against the Wildcats, but he gave up eight hits and one hit batsman while allowing two earned runs.

“Ethan’s been a bell-cow for us,” Hardin said. “When we don’t play defense behind you, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to give up runs. That’s where we were today.”

Bilodeau closed out the game on the mound for the Rams, diving up two walks while striking out two in 1 2/3 innings on the hill.

Jobe collected the win for the Wildcats with four innings on the mound, giving up three earned runs off five hits, four walks and two hit batters while striking out five.

“He told me before the game he felt really good,” Dow said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in him. When he’s on, he’s got a lot of confidence in his stuff.”

Chase Webb got the save with two earned runs off three hits while striking out five.

Lakeside is scheduled to travel to Hope (2-11, 0-7) today.