There have been few low moments for No. 3-4A Lakeville North this season. The last few innings of an April 19 game against Farmington was one.
The Panthers (10-2, 10-1) grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth and then fell apart. Farmington (11-5, 8-3) took advantage of five Lakeville North errors and three home runs off Panthers standout pitcher Kaitlyn Young, scoring five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth, and won the game 10-2.
When the teams meet in a rematch on Tuesday, it's the Panthers on the rise while Farmington, the 2017 Class 4A state champion, is struggling to find its balance. After a 7-2 start, the Tigers have lost four of their last seven games. Still, Farmington, along with New Prague, remain dangerous threats to Lakeville North in the Section 1 playoffs.
Farmington's Rebecca Hoeve held the potent Lakeville North offense in check the first game and likely will be tasked with taming the Panthers again. Lakeville North, averaging more than 7.5 runs per game, has been held to two or fewer runs just three times.