Jeff Miller has a four hit day as extra inning loss in game two leads to split with Prior Lake clubs...

It was a double header Saturday as the Outlaws traveled to Prior Lake's Memorial stadium to take on both home town squads in the Pacers and the Mariners.  

Game 1: Outlaws-2 / Pacers-1

This first game was all about pitching for both teams.  No clue who pitched for the Pacers, but he locked horns with an angry Paul Oelrich in a classic pitchers dual.  Both pitchers would keep the game scoreless up until the 6th inning.  In fact Oelrich carried a perfect game into the 6th inning, but we will get to that later.  

Up until the 6th the Outlaws only had 3 hits.  Sam "Bammy" Baumgartner started the game with a single and Jeff "Spanky" Miller had singles in the 2nd and 3rd innings.  The Outlaws threatened in the 3rd with the bases loaded but failed to score.  

The visiting Outlaws would draw first blood in the top of the 6th.  With one out Mike Roth doubled.  (This is actually the game where Mike had to run to second twice in a row from home plate....oh well.  Looked the same in the book.)  On the first pitch of his at bat, Jeff Appel followed Roth's gapper with a single.  One batter later Jeff Miller would maintain his perfect day with a walk to load the bases.  In a classic battle of power Chad Wiertzema stepped into the box with the bases loaded.  He was promptly plunked and the Outlaws had a 1-0 lead.  Sean Mangan then worked a bases loaded walk of his own to force across the second run.  

The 2-0 lead was enough for Oelrich as he pitched past the Pacers for the win.  Oh....yeah...on a side note, Paul carried a perfect game into the 6th.  Paul surrendered the only hit of the day for the Pacers to their lead off hitter in the 6th.  Ole finished the day with 9 punch outs while giving up only the one hit.  The Pacers did scratch a run across in the bottom of the 7th and had the runners on 1st and third before Paul decided to end the game.  This was a hairy one in the end, but a great game to be a part of.  

Jeff Miller led all Outlaw hitters with a 2 for 2 performance adding a walk.  Sam Baumgartner was one for three with a walk.  Ryan Meyer and Paul Oelrich were also 1 for 3 with a single and a walk.   Mike Roth was 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.  Jeff Appel was 1 for 3 with a single and a run scored.  Wertz and Sean Mangan provided the RBI's with their good eyes (and stout ribs) at the plate.  Jason Beckett was on base twice in three plate appearances being plunked and walking in the 5th.  

Game 2: Outlaws-7 / Mariners-8 (9 innings)

A game that would prove to be a true battle and ultimately be decided by an umpire wanting to get home.  The final regular season game of 2013 was in the hands of Outlaw ace Jeff Miller.  

Sam Baumgartner opened play by working a base on balls.  Ryan Meyer quickly joined Bammy on the base paths after base hit.  As he has done all year, Paul Oelrich drove the Outlaws to an early 2-0 lead with a 2RBI double.  The bases were quickly loaded again as Mike Roth reached on an error and Jeff Appel worked a walk.  Jesse "Muff" Teerink then extended the lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Oelrich on the play.  3 runs would be the extent of the scoring for the visiting Outlaws in the 1st.  

Jeff Miller worked a scoreless first and 2nd inning.  The Outlaws went down in order in the 2nd and wasted a two out double by Mike Roth in the top of the third.  The Mariners would blow up in the home half of the third scoring 5 runs on three hits and two walks.

Jeff Miller would begin the battle back for the Outlaws by singling in the top of the fourth with one out.  Chad Weirtzema followed suit with a single of his own.  One out later, Jason Beckett singled driving in Miller and cutting the deficit to one run.  Sam Baumgartner would be plunked one batter later, but the Outlaws would fail to plate another run in the inning.  Jeff Miller found his mojo and pitched a one-two-three home half.  

With one out in the top of the 5th Mike "The Hammer" Roth hit a moon ball to left field for a home run, knotting the score at 5-5.  With two outs in the inning Jesse Teerink and Jeff Miller would have back to back singles, but both were left stranded.  

Spanky would keep the score at 5-5 pitching scoreless frames in the 6th and 7th innings.  The Outlaws added a Sean Mangan single and a Ryan Meyer walk in the 6th but would fail to score.  Jesse Teerink singled in the 7th and was also left stranded.  It was extra innings time in Prior Lake.  

In the top of the 8th Chad Wiertzema and Sean Mangan started a rally by opening up the inning with back to back walks.  A wild pitch moved both into scoring position.  Sam Baumgartner then drove the Outlaws to a 6-5 lead driving in Wertz with a single.  Prior Lake would work out of trouble and end the scoring with just the one run.  They also answered back in the home half of the inning plating a run of their own to tie it up at 6-6.

The Outlaws went back to work in the top of the 9th as Mike Roth and Jeff Appel worked walks to open up the inning.  Roth would be erased on a fielders choice before Jeff Miller worked another walk to load the bases with one out.  Chad Wiertzema came through with a big base hit scoring Appel and once again giving the Outlaws a one run lead at 7-6.  

Once again the excitement and lead were both short lived.  The Mariners lead off hitter would single to open up the inning.  Here's where things went south....The Mariner runner attempted to steal second base.  Sean Mangan's throw was to the 2nd base bag 10 feet prior to the runner and the tag was put on the runner.  The ump signaled safe.  Both teams were pretty much shocked by the call.  The next Prior Lake hitter would reach after being plunked.  Jeff Miller would almost work out of trouble as he retired the next two hitters in order.  Then with two outs, a single plated both runners and the Mariners stole the walk off victory by a final score of 8-7.  

Hell of a way to end an extremely long day and a regular season.  Mariners players also expressed frustration that such an intense game would end as a result of such a bad call.  It is however the human factor in the game of baseball and a part of the game that we all love so much.  The umpire did a good job all day and this was one call.  

The Outlaws finished the 2013 regular season with an 11-5 record.  Mike Roth led all Outlaw hitters going 2-4 with a double and a home run.  Jesse Teerink was also 2-4 with an RBI.  Jeff Miller was 2 for 4 with a run scored.  Spanky also pitched the complete 9 inning game striking out 4.  Chad Wertz was 2-4 with two singles, a walk, a run scored and one RBI.   Sam Baumgartner was 1 for 3 with and RBI and a run scored, Ryan Meyer was 1 for 4 with a run scored, Paul Oelrich was 1 for 5 with a 2RBI double, Sean Mangan was 1 for 4 with a single and a walk, and Jason Beckett was 1 for 4 with an RBI single.