Lakeville North Bows Out Of Gopher Classic In Style

The Lakeville North Legion baseball team concluded a 3-2 weekend appearance at the Gopher Classic with a 6-4 defeat of Excelsior on Sunday night at Veteran's Field in Minnetonka, eliminating the hosts from further competition in the pool play finale.

Eliminated from the tournament playoffs after splitting their first four games over Friday and Saturday, the Panthers entered their fifth and final game light and carefree with a number of players trying on new positions during the contest.

The laissez-faire attitude suited North, as the team busted the game open with a five-run fourth inning with Blake Roseen accounding for three tallies with a two-RBI double and a run scored as the Panthers claimed a 5-0 lead heading into the second half of the matchup.

The outburst made a winner out of North starting pitcher Brandon Morgan, before middle relievers Gordon Kappers and Zack Creighton came on in the fifth and sixth inning, allowing four runs between them.

Kappers one-out single in the top of the sixth scored Jordan Jacobson with the Panthers' sixth run and final run of the night and fireballing closer Joel Klinkhammer stuck out three of the final five batters he faced over the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings to earn the save and clinch the win for Lakeville. 

The victory was the third of the tournament for the Panthers, who also topped Hartisonville, Missouri (7-2) and Champlin Park (9-7) in Pool 9 play, while falling to New Ulm (3-1) and Moline, Illinois (10-1).