EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Achterling is a reserve outfielder on the Detroit Lakes Amateur Baseball Club’s active roster.
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DETROIT LAKES — The Detroit Lakes Amateur Baseball Club fell to the Bucks 7-1 in their franchise opener at Breckenridge on May 27.
Ahead of the game, club player/manager Brandon Johnson said he was calmer than he thought, but still extremely excited heading into the franchise opener for a team he has started building from scratch in February.
“I’m just ready to play baseball, more excited about playing baseball than I probably have been in my entire life,” Johnson said. “Really what that means is that we’re in and out of these communities, representing our community and we can do it with class and hopefully baseball excellence.”
Michael Achterling / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Michael Achterling / Detroit Lakes Tribune
He also said his keys for Game 1 against Breckenridge were: throwing strikes, making plays (in the field) and putting the ball in play at home plate.
However, while Club threw plenty of shots and limited their play on the field to just two errors, they failed to get the ball in play at home plate. The club members had only three hits and struck out 15 times in nine innings.
After going 0-0 through the first three innings of the game, the Bucks’ first run came in the 4th inning on a pitching error by Johnson, which allowed a runner in third to score.
Michael Achterling / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Club starting pitcher Logan Lund was scored for six earned runs in the fifth inning, after pitching well in the first four frames of the game. He ended his day giving up 7 runs on 10 hits while walking one in 4 1/3 innings before being relieved by Matt Huberty.
Huberty said the club’s home opener was the first competitive baseball game he played in nearly 10 years; an example of the diverse experience level of Club players on their roster.
“When you haven’t played in 10 years, it’s so unlike anything I’ve ever experienced because I’m used to going fresh and having played at least fairly recently, and this is my first game in ten years is very different from a first game in six months,” Huberty said after the game. Plus, he hopes to get a better feel for his off-speed pitches to limit contact from opposing hitters the next time he takes the mound.
Michael Achterling / Detroit Lakes Tribune
After Huberty on the mound, Club starting catcher Blaine Henderson struck out four in the last three innings of relief while allowing just two hits.
The offensive highlight for Club was a brace starting 3rd baseman Tristan Wimmer in the 7th inning; however, Wimmer had to be taken out of play after coming to a halt, holding on at second base with an apparent leg injury. He was replaced by Noah Borah who scored later in the inning on a Johnson single to give Club their only run of the match.
Michael Achterling / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Michael Achterling / Detroit Lakes Tribune
After the game, Johnson admitted that it’s hard to win a baseball game whenever a team hits 15 times in a single game.
“If you don’t put the ball in play, things can’t happen,” Johnson said. “If they don’t have that big inning, it’s a 1-1 game…but if you don’t get hits and you don’t put the ball in play, it’s hard to score runs. “
Detroit Lakes Amateur Baseball Club’s next game will be their home opener at Washington Ballpark in Detroit Lakes against the Hawley Hawks on June 1 with the first pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
