Luke Hansel set the tone in his second start of the year, striking out a career-high nine batters through five scoreless innings with just four hits off of the young righty.
“My pitches were really moving tonight and I was super pleased with my execution, despite wishing it was warmer,” said Hansel. “[Manager Ken Huckaby] told me to work with tempo to keep the fielders engaged, but that kept me in rhythm in the cold.”
It was a scoreless affair through Hansel’s outing before the Hounds found some offense in the bottom of the fifth. Nick Northcut walked before Demetrius Sims deposited his second home run of the year to left field.
Shelby Lackey was the first reliever out of the ‘pen for Lake Country; he threw one inning and allowed the first Canary run to score on a hit and two wild pitches.
JT Moeller was the next man up, stranding two runners on base while striking out the side. Robert Gsellman came on to relieve Moeller after he allowed a leadoff triple in the eighth inning. Gsellman’s own wild pitch brought home the second Sioux Falls run of the ballgame to tie the game.
Eric Torres’ ninth inning had three more strikeouts after he let up a triple himself, holding the Canaries from taking the lead. After Lake Country was silenced in the ninth with two men on, the game went to the tenth inning.
Jake Cantleberry came into the contest with a leadoff runner starting at second and ended up in a bases-loaded jam before the final three DockHounds strikeouts, bringing the staff total to 20 on the evening.
In the bottom of the tenth, Aaron Hill started at second base. Joe Gray singled before Stuart laced a game-winning line drive back up the middle for his second hit of the game.
Lake Country continues its three-game set with Sioux Falls on Wednesday with an early first pitch scheduled for 10:35 am.
