Posted: 7/16/03

Legion team comes up short in Gopher State Classic

Joe Drennan
Sports Editor

The Forest Lake American Legion baseball team participated in the Gopher State Classic Tournament over the weekend of July 11-13.

In the first game the Rangers faced a North St. Paul team that is ranked fifth in the state. North St. Paul jumped to an early 3 run lead in the first inning that was a little too much for the Rangers. North St. Paul held on to win the game 5-2 on their home field.

In the second game the Rangers faced Thunder Bay. Steve Carlisle was the offensive threat of the game, going 2-3 with a double and a home run.

Going into the seventh inning the Rangers were up 12-5, and held on to win the game 12-10.

The Forest Lake team next faced a team from Moline, Illinois. Karl Young and Matt Lindstrom both had two hits apiece, but the team could only generate one run in a 8-1 loss.

ìWe played good defense, but every time we made a mistake it cost us,îsaid Legion coach Mike Welch.

The next team the Rangers faced was Sartell. Carlisle tied the game at 2-2 with a home run in the top of the third inning, but Sartell scored two of their own to put the game at 4-2 in the bottom half of the inning. Forest Lake added another run in the fourth inning, but Sartell added three more in the fifth inning enroute to an 8-3 victory.

In their fifth game in three days, and eight in seven days, the Rangers faced Bloomington Gold.

The Rangers jumped to an early 8-1 lead off a Karl Young triple in the first, and a six run second inning. In that six run second, Carlisle had a three run home run. Pete Storm had a solo home run of his own in the second as well.

Bloomington added four runs of their own in the third and fourth innings, then another two in the fifth.

Forest Lake had the tying run at the plate in the seventh, but a disputed double play ended the game with Bloomington ahead 11-8.

ìEight games in seven days is a lot for these kids to play,î Welch said. Welch added that with a short bench like the one Forest Lake has the pitchers end up playing in the field the game after they pitch. ìI donít think the other teams were as dependent on their pitchers to be playing in the field the next day. Itís kind of tough to pitch seven innings one day and play short stop the next,î Welch said.

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