Justin Braun Photography / jbraunphoto.com
Ben Snider struck out six Eastview batters and picked up the win for Prior Lake.
The Prior Lake Laker Varsity Baseball team is on a three-game winning streak and now has a 5-2 win loss record in play.
The Lakers met Eastview April 16, with senior captain Jaeger Solis getting Prior Lake on the board quickly with a solo home run to right field in the first inning. First baseman Jaymin Eischens and third baseman Nikhil Kandi followed with back-to-back singles to give the Lakers another run and a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Ryan Block doubled to right field to lead off the inning, followed by Solis hitting a single to score Block and increase the lead to 3-0. Another run was scored on a throwing error after a Kandi ground ball made the Lakers lead 4-0. Prior Lake added on in the sixth inning when outfielder Dylan Moyers and Block each singled after a pair of walks by pinch hitters Cole Brinkman and Mason Golberg to stretch the lead to 6-0. Four more runs were scored in the top of the seventh inning, and the game ended with the Lakers winning with a final score of 10-0.
Ben Snider picked up the win on the mound, throwing four innings, allowing four hits, two walks and striking out six Eastview batters. Reliever Zach Johnson threw the final three innings and allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three.
The Lakers traveled to Burnsville on April 18 and beat the Blaze 7-0.
Prior Lake scored two runs in the first inning when Block singled up the middle, followed by a walk to Solis. Eischens attempted a sacrifice bunt but the throw sailed into the outfield and allowed Block to score. Left fielder Tyler Carlson followed with a line drive single to left field to score another run, giving Prior Lake a 2-0 lead.
The Lakers scored again in the top of the third inning. Three more runs were scored in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 6-0. Solis then homered for the second straight game in the top of the seventh, bringing the final score to 10-0.
Cotten Gunderson picked up the win on the mound, pitching five inning, allowing two hits, no walks and eight strike-outs. Reliever Michael Schutte pitched the first two innings, allowing one hit while striking out three.
The Lakers earned a 6-1 win over the Rosemount Irish when playing April 22 at Veterans Field at Memorial Park.
The Lakers opened scoring in unconventional fashion in the bottom of the first inning. After a double by Solis and a single by Eischens left runners on the corners with two outs, Carlson swung and missed for a strikeout but the ball sailed past the catcher and to the backstop to allow a run to score and give Prior Lake a 1-0 lead. Two more runs were scored in the third. By the end of the fifth inning, the lead was upped to 5-0.
The Lakers extended their lead again in the sixth when Gavin Brening singled at the start of the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a pinch hit single by Owen Brederson. The Irish added a run in the bottom of the seventh on an error to reach the 6-1 final score.
Golberg earned the win on the mound, throwing six innings, allowing five hits, no walks and striking out eight batters. Brody Nelson pitched the final inning, and gave up no earned runs in his varsity debut after being called up from the junior varsity team.
The Lakers were scheduled to play Lakeville South on April 23.
Prior Lake has two home games scheduled for Memorial in the next few days:
April 24 vs. Farmington, 7 p.m. (team is currently leading in conference standings)
April 26 vs. Waconia, 7 p.m.
Play against Waconia will be preceded by “Strike Out Cancer Day” held at Veterans Field at Memorial Park, beginning at 11 a.m. All Prior Lake teams from ninth grade through varsity will be playing throughout the day.