After yet another one-run game, the Albert Lea Colonels faced the front-runner in the Southern Minny League.

It added up to an 0-2 weekend for the local amateur baseball team.

The Colonels fell 3-2 at Minnesota Lake Friday night &045; their sixth one-run loss of the year &045; then lost 9-1 to league-leading Mankato at Hayek Field Sunday.

“Minnesota Lake has a very good team &045; they were 17-7 coming in &045; but my feeling is we should have won that game,” said Colonels manager Bill Trygstad. “Mankato is now 17-3 overall and 9-1 in the league and they have an outstanding team. We played them a little better than the last time and, while they hit two home runs, they only outhit us 8-7.”

Both teams had five hits Friday but the Colonels’ three errors made the difference as none of Minnesota Lake’s runs were earned.

Matt Trygstad was 2-for-4 with a double and both of Albert Lea’s RBIs. The other hits were by James Gonzalez, Aric Attig and Anthony Lowman. The Colonels struck out 13 times and walked twice off two Minnesota Lake pitchers.

Jeff Schulz took the hard-luck loss, pitching six innings of five-hit ball, striking out nine and walking one. Derek Anderson threw two innings of hitless relief.

“Our pitchers did well for us,” said Bill Trygstad. “It was pretty well played on both sides. We made a couple errors and that was the difference in the game.”

It was the Colonels’ second 3-2 loss to Minnesota Lake this summer.

Gonzalez was 2-for-2 with a double and two walks against Mankato. David Dahl, Matt Trygstad, Justin Kohn, Schulz and Attig also had hits. Schulz drove in the run.

Mike Piechowski started on the mound but left after two innings with a sore back. He gave up five runs on four hits, with one walk and no strikeouts.

“You could tell he wasn’t throwing like he normally does,” said Bill Trygstad.

Adam Berge gave up four runs on four hits through the next six innings. Anderson pitched the ninth.

The Colonels, 3-7 in the league and 4-13 overall, are on the road for six of their remaining seven games. They travel to Blue Earth Tuesday for a rescheduled game, play Wednesday at the Austin Athletics and Thursday at New Richland. The final home game is Sunday against Faribault.

Minn. Lake 3, Colonels 2

Albert Lea

000 000 020 – 2

5

3

Minn. Lake

010 200 00x – 3

5

1

LP – Jeff Schulz

Mankato 9, Colonels 1

Mankato

320 120 100 – 9

8

0

Albert Lea

000 000 010 – 1

7

3

LP – Mike Piechowski