The Lakers suffered their first loss of the season during an 8-5 setback against Fergus Falls in a game played at Gustavus Adolphus College, Friday.

The Otters scored seven runs in their first at-bat and the Lakers were left playing catchup the rest of the way.

Minnewaska had started the season out 3-0 before losing for the first time.  The Lakers were also supposed to play a doubleheader at Morris Area-CA, last Tuesday, but those games were pushed back to Tuesday, May 21 due to weather.

This week, the Lakers are set to play a doubleheader at Sauk Centre, Tuesday, April 23 before playing a game at NLS, Friday.

Montevideo and Minnewaska Area both went 13-1 during league action last year, while Morris Area-CA and Melrose Area tied for third with 8-6 records, Sauk Centre was 7-7, BOLD was 5-9 and West Central Area and Benson were tied for seventh with 1-13 records.

Waska 8, Osakis 5

The Lakers gave up seven first-inning runs before coming up short in trying to rally for the win.

The Lakers scored two in the first and one in the fourth and, after Fergus Falls added another run in the sixth, the Lakers scored two in the seventh before running out of steam.

Alex Panitzke went 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks and a run scored to lead the Laker offense, while five others had one hit each.

Thomas Poegel was 1-for-2 with two runs scored, while Levi Johnson had a hit, run scored and was also hit-by-pitch, Noah Jensen and Riley Dell both had a hit and at least one RBI, and Jack Majerus also reached safely on a hit.

Nathan Dell took the loss on the mound.  He lasted just two outs while giving up four hits, two walks and seven runs.  Austin Weber got the final out of the first inning and then Ryland Martin came in to pitch the final six innings, giving up just three hits, one unearned run and one walk with six strikeouts.

Two players had two hits each for the Otters, who scored their seven runs in the first inning on five singles, two walks and two hit-by-pitch; all coming with two outs.

Fergus Falls 8, Waska 5

Fergus Falls 7 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 8 8 2

Waska (3-1) 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 — 5 7 1

HITTING:  WASKA-Alex Panitzke 2-for-2, 1 run, 2 bb, triple; Jack Majerus 1-for-5; Levi Johnson 1-for-3, 1 run, hbp; Noah Jensen 1-for-3, RBI, bb; Thomas Poegel 1-for-2, 2 runs; Riley Dell 1-for-1, 2 RBI, double; Nathan Dell 1 run . . . FF-C. Fronning 2-for-3, 1 run, 3 RBI; K. Stenstrom 2-for-3, 1 run, bb

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Nathan Dell (L, 1-1)  2/3-4-7-7-2-0; Austin Weber 1/3-1-0-0-0-0; Ryland Martin 6-3-1-0-1-6 . . . FF-I. Ellison 3 2/3-2-3-3-6-5; L. King (W) 3 1/3-5-2-2-0-5