Lakeside blasts Hope in conference tournment
Lakeside’s offensive potential was on full display in the first round of the 5A-South conference tournament Monday night.
Leading 3-0, the top-seeded Rams (22-5) erupted for 13 runs on nine hits in the bottom of the second inning and rolled to a 16-0 win over visiting Hope (2-18) to secure a berth in the Class 5A state tournament.
“You’ve always got to feel good about putting up 13 runs in one inning,” Lakeside coach Leighton Hardin said. “I was worried all day because you never know in a one-game setting. If we don’t show up and they have the game of their life, they’re in the state tournament and we’re going home.
“We had to make sure we were focused coming out, and for the most part we were. We had a couple of lapses here or there, but then we took care of business by the second inning.”
The Rams rode a patient approach at the plate and aggressiveness on the bases to a quick lead in the bottom of the first.
Brady Prince, Ethan Bates and Jesus Minjarez each drew a walk and stole a base, while Zac Melugin and Ryan Robinson delivered one RBI each to give Lakeside a 3-0 advantage on just two base hits.
After Gage Golden retired the side in order in the top of the second, the Rams broke the game open with a barrage of hits in the bottom of the frame.
Aided by three Hope errors, Bates, Melugin and Remy Bilodeau each drove in two runs and Robinson had one RBI as Lakeside batted around to plate 13 runs with 10 players reaching base safely at least once.
“I don’t think the moment has ever really gotten to us like it has teams in the past,” said Hardin. “I think that goes back to their work and the dedication they put in during the offseason.
“It’s just going to be a matter of continuing to do what we’ve been doing that makes us successful. We’ve got to make sure we know what our approach is when we get to the plate. We know that if we all do the same thing, then somebody is going to have success.”
Given ample run support, a trio of Lakeside pitchers put the game away on the mound. After Golden tossed two scoreless innings with
pitchers put the game away on the mound. After Golden tossed two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, Jordan Villas, Minjarez and Andrew Cox each pitched one scoreless frame to keep the shutout in tact.
The four pitchers combined on a five-inning no-hitter, striking out 10 while issuing no walks.
“Our guys have matured a lot this year; we were able to pitch four different guys today and can bring any of them back later this week if need be,” Hardin said. “To give them some work in the postseason before we go to the state tournament was big because somebody out of that group is going to be pitching.
“Gage has been one of our best guys all year, and he went up and did what he was supposed to do, and it was good to get him back out there on the mound.”
Bryce Brownlee and Bryce Aughenbaugh came off the bench, and each singled in the bottom of the third, but the Rams were unable to extend their lead after Hope’s Dylan Barton retired the side.
Minjarez and Cox combined to strike out four of Hope’s last six batters of the game to complete the no-hitter. Cox, Minjarez and Villas each recorded two strikeouts in one inning of relief while Golden struck out four in two innings.
Robinson finished with three singles and two RBIs in three at-bats. Bates and Bilodeau each had one single and two RBIs, while Melugin led the team with three RBIs.
Hope’s Aldo Gonzalez reached on an error to lead off the top of the first to give the Bobcats their only baserunner of the game.
The Rams will face White Hall in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. today at home. The Bulldogs defeated Camden Fairview 11-5 in the first round.
“We’re going to continue to do what we do,” said Hardin. “We’re going to stick with that and not get outside of what we do. We don’t have to do something special to win a game because I think we’ve proven that we’re a pretty good team this year.”