Connor Lanoue goes deep, but Panthers again limited to just 3 hits in second straight loss
When it comes to momentum, the final three frames of Tuesday’s extra-inning game between TMB and Heron Lake-Okabena-Fulda had more swings than a playground.
Unfortunately, the Coyotes had the last laugh, using two eighth-inning sacrifice flies to clip the Panthers, 3-2, in eight innings.
“This group, coming up through the years, the offense has been more of a struggle than the pitching or defense — just like today,” said TMB manager James Fultz. “But it’s still early. Some of these guys haven’t seen tons of varsity pitching, and it’ll get better over time.”
The first half of the game was all about the starting pitchers. Kaiden Haberman of HLOF and TMB’s Trevor Smith were locked in a battle from the get-go. Haberman allowed just one hit over the first five innings, and Smith struck out five in the first three innings and pitched around two doubles in the first and second innings.
The Coyotes finally got to Smith in the top of the fourth with a single, stolen base and their third double of the game. The Panthers (0-2) threatened in fifth. Brody Hauger reached on a single, and Aiden Sanow and Taylor Squires both walked to load the bases. Haberman got out of the jam, however, with a strikeout.
HLOF made it 2-0 in the top of the sixth when Haberman connected for a two-out solo home run over the left field fence off reliever Noah Knakmuhs. Haberman finished the day with two doubles and the round-tripper; he also walked.
But any momentum HLOF had was wiped away in the bottom half of the inning. Smith reached on an error, stole second and scored when Connor Lanoue ripped a curve ball over the left field fence to tie things at 2-2.
“He has put in tons of time,” Fultz said. “He’s been locked in before we start games. His swings looked good, and he got one right where he needed it and put it over the fence.”
For Lanoue, his blast gave him a muchneeded boost after a quiet start.
“The first game I didn’t hit very well, so I told myself to be a little bit more confident,” Lanoue said. “He threw me a curve ball and I just sat back and let the hands fly.”
Both teams went quietly in the seventh as things settled down, but in the eighth, HLOF lead-off hitter Cole Schmidt started a rally by lifting a soft liner over third base and advanced to second on a passed ball.
After a sacrifice fly to center, Brenton Erdmann was intentionally walked. Schmidt would later score on another sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Gavin Bell for what would turn out to be the winning run, as TMB went down in order in its half of the eighth.
The Panthers, for the second straight game, mustered just three hits, as the offense continues to play catch-up with TMB’s pitching.
“I really think it just starts in practice,” said Lanoue. “We need to get as many guys as we can getting extra reps, even after practice, hitting off the tee and getting those reps.”
Squires got the Panthers’ first hit — a leadoff single in the first, but was stranded.
Smith went five innings on the mound, striking out eight and giving up four hits.
Tuesday’s game was the start of a busy, earlyseason stretch for the Panthers, as they have back-to-back-to-back games starting Thursday at home against Lakeview. Fultz said he doesn’t mind the heavy schedule.
“For seeing live pitching, it’s a good thing,” he said. “It’s something you can’t replicate in practice all the time because you can’t burn guys out, and we haven’t had much time outside. Getting these guys through this slug of games will be good; we can kind of get a base of where everyone’s at, and hopefully they can build off what we see, and then we’ll get into two-game weeks more consistently.”
HLOF 000 101 01 — 3 7 1 TMB 000 002 00 — 2 3 0 Smith, Knakmuhs (L, 6) and Squires. 2B: Haberman (2). HR: Haberman, Connor Lanoue.
APRIL 4: WINDOM 5, TMB 4
The Panthers fell to Windom Area 5-4 last Friday after giving up four fourth-inning runs.
Both teams struggled to generate much with the bats with just three hits apiece.
“The at-bats were not the best,” TMB manager James Fultz said. “That’s to be expected with the weather and it being the first game of the year. We found ways to put pressure on Windom and gave ourselves a chance to take a lead late in the game.”
Trevor Smith had two of the Panthers’ three hits and drove in three.
“Trevor looked great at the plate with two of our three hits, and three of the runs batted in,” Fultz said. “The loss doesn’t show it, but as a coach I’m not gonna be too grumpy about that game. It is a game we can build off and can get us rolling.” Connor Lanoue started for TMB, allowing two unearned runs. He struck out three but walked six.
“Connor threw pretty darned good in his first game of the year,” said Fultz. “His control wasn’t always there, but when he located, he was a very tough pitcher to go against.”
The Panthers did rally late, coming up with two runs in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to win the seasonopener.
Griffin Zick got TMB’s other hit and walked twice, and Aiden Sanow scored two runs.
• The Panthers have two more home games on the docket this week — today (April 10) against Lakeview and Saturday against Adrian-Ellsworth with the B-squad playing at noon, followed by the varsity game. Those two games bookend a Friday tilt at MCC at 4:30 p.m., with the B-squad to follow the varsity contest.
The junior high baseball team plays at home on Thursday against Windom and in Slayton on Friday — both at 4:30 p.m.
