Baseball: Lakewood hangs tough in emotional loss

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For six innings Tuesday, Lakewood was just a couple hits away from marching into the Southern Section-Toyota Division I quarterfinals.

Pitcher Derrick Dingeman was tossing a brilliant game, holding Valencia to only two hits. However, cracks formed in the sixth inning and everything fell apart when Robbie Mousselli ripped his contested line drive down the left-field line. As a result, the Lancers ended up falling, 4-0, to the Vikings.

I’m pretty sure all the players and fans on the Lakewood side were convinced it was foul and I think everybody on Valencia’s side thought it was fair. In the end it didn’t matter, though, because the umpires ruled it was fair and that’s all that really matters in these situations (listen to what Lakewood Coach Spud O’Neil had to say about the hit).

It was an emotional ending to a hard-fought season and some of these emotions apparently spilled out during a quick shouting and shoving match toward the end of the traditionally post-game handshake. I don’t know who was to blame, and really, who cares? The important thing is that even though Lakewood lost this one, they’ll be back next year.

Several key players are slated to return, including hit magnets Matt Duffy, Jeff Yamaguchi and Brandon Gillilan. So, offensively, the Lancers could potentially be even better in 2009. And who knows? A repeat of their 2006 championship run could be in the cards if everything works out. It’ll be tough, but it could happen.

-- Austin Knoblauch