The Prior Lake Laker Legion strung together 12 runs on 14 hits to blow out the Winona LeJetz in their first game of the 2023 American Legion State Baseball Tournament in Rochester (MN) on Thursday morning. Solid pitching from Laker Legion’s Trevor Mong and Michael Schulte kept the LeJetz to three hits and stranding five through the game. Mong delivered 3 2/3 innings of service, allowing two hits, a walk, and striking out four. Schulte would get a ball with two outs in the bottom of the third and go the distance, giving up three hits with two walks and punching out four Winona batters.
Laker Legion would get on the board right away, putting up six runs in the first inning behind hits from Dominik Giancarlo, Trevor Mong, Derek Gust, and Spencer Keeney. Gust and Keeney had RBIs, while several walks and wild pitches would plate additional runs.
In the third, Keeney would lead off with a single to left and score off of a home run by Jaxson Barrett, bringing the score to 8-0. Nate Bodine and Giancarlo would add additional singles to the inning.
Finally, in the top of the fourth inning, Prior Lake would pile on four more runs with doubles each from Gust, Keeney, Barrett, and Noah Slates. With a 12-0 lead for the Laker Legion, the side would go down in order in the top of the fifth, and Winona’s last attempt in the fifth would go unanswered.
Barrett and Keeney led the team with three hits each (both 3-for-3), while Giancarlo, Gust, and Mong each went 2-for-4 at the plate; Gust doubled in both appearances. The law offices of Barrett & Keeney collectively contributed six RBI (Barret with four, Keeney with two).
The Laker Legion continues their State-run Thursday night when they take on Delano Post 377. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:30 PM at Adams Alumni Field in Rochester.