“Windom is a very good baseball team, and being our fourth game of the week, you never know how high school kids are going to react, they get tired and all that,” TMB head coach James Fultz said. “The score doesn’t look great, but I thought we played fairly well. Besides a few errors, I can’t complain.”

Windom took a sizable lead quickly in the game with the help of nine combined runs between the second and third innings. The Panthers struggled at points throughout the game between defensive errors and pitching that resulted in extra runs for the Eagles, and couldn’t get past Windom’s defense to get a comeback rally started.

But despite the loss, playing a higher-class team with the postseason nearing, and still putting together a string of strong hits and solid defensive plays, was a highlight for the Panthers.

“It’s great [playing tough competition]. Not saying the pitching in Class A is any better or worse, but it’s good to just see different arms that you’re not going to see in the postseason and that you haven’t been seeing,” Fultz said. “Getting to bat against those guys, and also just having your pitchers go against [different] hitters as well, that’s good, too. Overall, yeah the result isn’t great, but we had a handful of guys do a lot of good stuff.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Tracy-Milroy-Balaton's Aiden Sanow begins to swing at a pitch Friday night against Windom in a non-conference matchup in Tracy.

Griffin Zick led TMB’s offense, going 2 for 2 at the plate with a pair of runs. Nolan Carlson saw the most time on the mound with four innings, finishing with one strikeout while allowing three hits and four walks.

The Eagles scored a pair of runs to start out the game in the top of the first, scoring on bases loaded with a walk and on a passed ball. But, with Windom holding runners on second and third, a deep left-field catch from Brody Hauger prevented the Eagles from cashing in more runs right away.

TMB didn’t get any runs across in its first at-bat, just as Windom brought in four more in the top of the second to take a 6-0 lead.

The first run came from a Panthers’ error when Windom was stealing third, and went home with an overthrow to third.

The Eagles again got all bases occupied, just as Easton Piotter stepped up to the plate and cleared the bases with a three-run RBI double to deep center field.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Tracy-Milroy-Balaton's Carson Lanoue turns around to make a catch Friday night against Windom in a non-conference matchup in Tracy.

Fultz made the pitching change from Brayden Marron to Hauger, and Carson Lanoue made a diving backwards catch in center field to end the inning.

The Panthers got some momentum going in the bottom of the second and rattled off a trio of runs to cut into a 6-3 deficit.

“I thought our at-bats were great all day. This group doesn’t really get down on themselves. That showed up in that second inning. We battled back and tightened it back up again,” Fultz said. “Can’t complain about it when things aren’t going your way early and then you respond.”

Zick accounted for the first run after stealing home on a passed ball, and initially got into scoring position with a walk and stole second, and advanced to third with a Marron line-drive single to right field.

TMB had the bases loaded, as Aiden Sanow also scored on a passed ball and Marron followed close behind, charging home on a Connor Lanoue RBI single with an infield hit as Windom fumbled when getting to the ball. Sanow also first reached base on a walk.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Tracy-Milroy-Balaton's Griffin Zick (7) safely steals and slides into home Friday night against Windom in a non-conference matchup in Tracy.

Yet, Windom came back with a quick response as well for a five-run third inning to take back an eight-run lead, 11-3.

The Eagles had their bats going, and scored the runs between an RBI triple, double, single, a sacrifice hit and one as the result of a TMB defensive error.

TMB held Windom scoreless in the top of the fourth, and scored a run in the bottom of the frame with Carson Lanoue scoring off an Eagles’ error in return. Lanoue initially walked then stole second, and took home on the same play of stealing third when Windom’s error occurred.

The Eagles and Panthers each scored one more run each in the fifth inning, and saw a scoreless sixth. Notably, TMB had a strong defensive sixth inning after completing three quick outs between a fly-ball catch and a pair of infield plays with the force-out at first.

Windom scored twice more in the top of the seventh, and held off TMB once more in the bottom to end the night.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Tracy-Milroy-Balaton's David Schuh (left) attempts to tag out a runner at third base Friday night against Windom in a non-conference matchup in Tracy.

Overall, TMB finished with seven hits and three errors to Windom’s eight hits and one error.

Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, the Panthers have been pursuing strong momentum as of late. Going into Friday, TMB evened its record back up to .500 with four consecutive wins, after it dropped three straight prior.

“We are rolling now. It was kind of a rough spot there, I’d say two weeks ago when we lost I think three or four in a row, but we just told them that this game, you’re playing a higher-class team. You’d love to win it, but losing it doesn’t hurt you,” Fultz said. “Hopefully they keep the attitude that they can compete in every game, and give ourselves a chance.”

Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (6-7) will remain at home and host Minneota (7-5) on Monday with a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.

BOX SCORE

Photo by Samantha Davis: Tracy-Milroy-Balaton's Connor Lanoue rounds third base Friday night against Windom in a non-conference matchup in Tracy.

HITTING

T. Squires: 1-3, BB; Con. Lanoue: 1-4; D. Schuh: 1-4; G. Zick: 2-2, 2R, BB; A. Sanow: 0-2, R, 2BB; B. Marron: 1-1, R; N. Carlson: 1-3, RBI; Car. Lanoue: 0-2, R; BB.

PITCHING

B. Marron: 1.2 IP, 2SO, 6BB, 2H, 5ER; B. Hauger: 1.1 IP, BB, 3H, ER; N. Carlson: 4 IP, SO, 3H, ER, 4BB.