LAKES TITLE BID COMES UP SHORT FOR SL BOYS

Baseball is a game of inches sometimes.

Layton Yager’s line single just went over the outstretched glove of shortstop Allan White to score Kaden Fechter with the game’s only run as Estherville Lincoln Central, ranked No. 7 in Class 2A, got past Storm Lake 1-0 in a showdown for the Lakes Conference title on Wednesday at Tornado Field.

Estherville clinched the title with the win.

The game was scoreless through six innings as Storm Lake’s Charlie Dvergsten and Estherville’s Preston Crees were both dominant on the mound. Neither team had a hit until the fifth inning when Yager singled.

Storm Lake’s only hit was a double by Bobby Boeckman in the sixth.

Kendall Molacek reached on a dropped third strike to start the seventh. He stole second base. Courtesy runner Fechter made it to third on a dropped pitch and scored on Yager’s single just barely over White’s glove.

Storm Lake (10-10) was retired in order in the seventh.

Dvergsten got the loss. He allowed three hits, walked none and struck out 12 in seven innings.

Crees allowed one hit, walked none and struck out 11 in going the distance.