LAKERS OUT HIT EXPRESS

May 3, 2004

A cool afternoon with a snow-rain mix couldn’t keep the Pearl Lake Lakers from winning their first game of the year as they stole one from the Kimball Express in Central Valley League action this past Sunday in Marty.

Jim Schlangen singled home Laker teammate Brian Hennen in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Lakers the lead at 5-4, the score would stay that way giving the Lakers their first win of the season. The loss knocks the Express record to 1-2 on the season.

The Lakers got the scoring going in the bottom of the third inning as they loaded the bases and got a big two out, two run single by Steve Loesch giving the Lakers the early 2-0 lead. The Express came right back in the top of the fourth inning as they plated three runs to take the lead at 3-2. The two teams went back and forth for the next three innings.

The Lakers answered with one in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the score back up at 3-3. In the fifth Kimball grabbed the lead back scoring one, but before they could blink the Lakers tied it up with one of their own in the sixth making it 4-4.

It stayed that way until Schlangen’s hit in the seventh to give the Lakers the lead and the win.

After three weeks of CVL action not one team is undefeated as the Watkins Clippers and St. Nicholas Nicks both lost which shows the parity in the league this year. Pearl Lake came into Sunday’s game 0-2 and ready to show someone they were better than that. They did just that getting a great pitching performance from starter Dale Kraemer as he went all nine for the Lakers. Pat Arnold (1-1) went the distance for Kimball and took the loss. The Lakers out hit the Express 13-6.

Joe Pennertz was 2-4 with a run scored for the Express. No other Express player collected more than one hit.