MENTOR - Despite the the Lake Erie Lakers' 19-3 loss to OTN Sports Performance on June 21st at Lake Erie High School Lakers coach Harry Oschip found positives.

"We are getting better," he said. "You see some great pitching."

The Lakers (2-8), consisting primarily of Lake County players, are a 22 and under age wooden-bat team that participates in the Great Lakes Baseball League. OTN Sports Performance (19-3) is a 19 and under team based out of Youngstown, though they do have recent Willoughby South graduate Cameron Knott on their roster. Knott, who is set to attend Mercyhurst College, had three hits and two runs scored on the day. His teammate on OTN, pitcher Tanner Scott, who is scheduled to play for Notre Dame College, did not give up a hit until the fifth inning when Lake Erie scored all of their runs.

"We did come back," said Lakers player Danny Seufer when asked what positives he took from the game. Suefer, who was Lake Erie's starting pitcher, is a member of Lakeland Community College's team and a graduate of Chardon High School.

Leading 2-0, OTN broke the game open in the third inning with seven runs, highlighted by Knott's RBI double. They later added eight runs in the fourth inning and two in the fourth.

Jacob Ripma, who plays for Lake Erie College, broke Tanner's bid for a no hitter leading off the top of the fifth inning with a long double to left field. Ripma left the game and was relieved by Drew Beck, who was greeted with an infield single from Bryan Cooper.
An error allowed Ripma to score for the Laker's first run. After Miguel Tolento walked, Seufer singled to score Cooper. Lake Erie scored their last run on Leo Tolento's fielder's choice.

"You are playing some really great teams in the summer," said Oschip. "You find out if you can play in college by playing in the summer. The score is irrelevant."