Lamphere dropped their record down to 10-5 on Tuesday, which also ended the team's three-game streak of wins at home. They took an 11-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Marine City Mariners. Rams fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Mariners since on Tuesday.
Ethan Malak was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out eight batters over 6.2 innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Aidan Grzsikowski made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-6 with one home run, three runs, and two doubles. Gavin Abbott was another key player, going 2-for-5 with three runs and one double.
As for Marine City, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season. The game was the first time they have beaten Lamphere on their field since May 4, 2023.
On Marine City's side, Cooper Letson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Letson has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Michael Blunden, who went 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Paul Muscat, who went 2-for-6 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
While Lamphere had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
