The Becker Bandits amateur baseball team suffered a heartbreaking loss last Wednesday to the Maple Lake Lakers, 10-9.

After trailing for much of the game, Becker tied the score at nine in the top of the ninth inning on a Weston Schug home run.  However, Maple Lake would use a walk off hit in the bottom of the inning to pick up the win.

Schug scored the first Bandit run in the third inning as he singled and then scored on a Dalton Fouquette ground out.  The Bandit bats were silent for much of the early part of the game, however, as they didn’t score again until the sixth inning when they picked up another run as Zack Wenner singled home Fouquette.

Becker added a pair of runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to set up Schug’s game-tying bomb, but the Bandits couldn’t nail down the wining hit. 

For the game, Schug led the effort at the plate, going 3-for-5, with three RBI’s and three runs scored.  Matt Krenz continued his hot streak with a 3-for-6 performance, while Fouquette and Matt Moe each pick up a pair of hits for the Bandits.  

For the game, Manager Cole Hanson was happy with how his team hit the ball, as Becker amassed 13 hits and walked an incredible nine times.  

On the pitcher’s mound, it was a committee approach as Hanson sent four different arms to the mound to try and quell the Lakers’ bats.  Starter Cam Fischer was the first to toe the rubber and went two innings, giving up eight hits and four earned runs.  Schug came on in his usual relief role and struck out three batters in three innings while giving up a pair of runs before Matt Krenz came in to pitch two innings.  Andrew Kolbinger finished off the game and took the loss in his 1.2 innings of work, walking a pair and giving up one earned run.

Hanson noted that Owen Kolbinger picked up his first hit as a Bandit, as he earned the start as the designated hitter.  Kolbinger’s start and subsequent hit continues a tradition of fine father-son combinations that have played for the Bandits, including Randy and Nate Baumgarten, Jim, Cole and Kendall Hanson, and Dewey and Ryan Sommerdorf, among others.

The Bandits suffered a flurry of postponements and cancellations in the past week which has set up a full schedule.

Wednesday night they were to travel to Monticello to take on the Polecats, while Friday night they were in Princeton to battle the Panthers.  Sunday (June 13) at 5:30 they host the Becker Buzzards in the annual clash of Becker amateur baseball teams at the BAC.  Hanson is hoping for a large crowd to come out and celebrate America’s pastime while cheering or jeering their favorite players from both teams.