Bandits suffer another defeat.

The St. Croix River Bandits lost another game on Saturday afternoon to the Blaine Fusion. The Bandits are now 0-3 in their first 3 non-conference games, heading into conference action this coming weekend with games at Plum City and Prescott. The Bandits were ahead in the game 2-1 until the top of the 5th when the Fusion tied it up at 2's. Jay Gagner was on the mound for the Bandits today and put up a solid effort - 5IP, 2 hits allowed, 2Runs allowed (1 earned), and 7 k. It was after Gagner departed the game that the Bandits efforts on the mound and the field started falling flat. From the 6th inning on, the Bandits commited 4 fielding errors and 9 walks which led to 10 runs for the Fusion. The more I analyze the boxscore the more it looks like the Bandits could have pulled this one off. The Bandits out hit the Fusion: 10 to 8 and struck out less: 8 to 11. Even disregarding walks, if each error was played cleanly the Fusion would have scored only 2 runs on the game. Not much else to say..

Hopefully that Bandits have this sloppy play out of their system as the "real season" starts next weekend. As for the Bandits hitting, the bats came out swinging today. Lefties Adam Lewis and Trevor Todd combined to go 4 for 6 today. Todd scored twice and hit a double in the 2nd inning. Lewis ended the game with 2RBI. Curtis Roebuck got in on the action, hitting his first career double with the Bandits and coming within a few yards of parking the 2nd home run in Bandits history (in which case I know more than a few Bandits who would have immediately quit the team).

**NOTES**
Thank you to the Copy Shop for supplying the mini-poster schedules: If you need paper, paper products, or just any project done with any sort of paper or printing, seriously, don't waste your time, go to the Copy Shop.

Game Balls

1st: Jay Gagner - any guy who can go 10 months without throwing a baseball, come in to the game after about 9 warm up pitches and let up only 2 hits thru 5 innings gets my vote.

2nd: Adam Lewis - 2-4, 2RBI, 8 putouts and an assist

3rd: Trevor Todd - 2-4, 2B, 2 runs scored

Unheralded Hero of the Day- (tie) Jeanne Rochford - concessioneer - for all the work she puts in because she loves the Bandits, and the DeSmet family for stepping up to the plate and announcing a great game, capped off by Eve DeSmet's rendition of "American...Family...Insuuuuuuurance."

Scott Lindholm made the first 8-2 Fielder's Choice that I, or hopefully any Bandit, has ever seen. Congrats.

Key Players Not in Attendance: Jeff Johnson (aggravated motor boat), Joe Holman (temporary blindness), and the High School kids (truency).

Estimated Attendance: 40-50 (not bad for a cold crummy day in May)