Saranac Lake recorded just three hits in the game while showing solid plate discipline with 10 walks, one hit-by-pitch and two drop third strikes. Lake Placid had nine hits, while each spot in their lineup reached base at least once.

“Our bats are as silent as silent can be right now,” Saranac Lake head coach Bryan Munn said. “With our lineup, we should be hitting the ball and we’re not yet. We’re four games in, we had a few against AuSable, but I was surprised to see how silent our bats were (on Saturday).”

The matchup between the two squads was the first since 2021, when they both played in the Section VII Class C division. This season, Saranac Lake is a Class B team, playing in the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference while Lake Placid is a Class D school, playing in the Mountain and Valley Athletic Conference.

“I scheduled as many of the big schools as my schedule would allow because these kids are talented and they need to see that type of pitching and that type of play. The CVAC type of play,” Blue Bombers head coach Brian Brandes said.

Saranac Lake’s Adam Lewis pitches during Saturday’s game against Lake Placid. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Right away, it was clear that the Blue Bombers weren’t used to the speed of a Class B team as Saranac Lake surged out to a 9-2 lead through five innings, because of some miscues from the Blue Bombers.

However, in the bottom half of the fifth, Lake Placid caught fire, scoring five straight runs to bring the game within two.

With a runner on second, Lake Placid’s Owen Hayes hit a ground ball between the shortstop and third base into the outfield and it looked like the Blue Bombers were going to score again.

Saranac Lake’s left fielder Nick Munn picked up the ball and made a throw to home plate and where the catcher, Evan Willet, was able to tag out the Lake Placid runner.

“That was huge,” Munn said. “If he had scored there, it’s 9-8 and they’ve got the momentum and they’ve got runners on base. You never know.”

Saranac Lake’s Noah Munn hauls in a catch at second base during Saturday’s game in Lake Placid.(Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Adam Lewis earned the win, striking out five batters, while Jon Kratts came in relief in the fifth and earned two strikeouts. Brady Roberts and Brayden Munn were the lone Saranac Lake batters to record a hit. Roberts finished with two hits — a double and a single.

Lake Placid used a carousel of pitchers, which included Vann Morrelli, who started the game and finished with three strikeouts; PJ Colby, who came in the third inning and had six strikeouts in two innings; and Jarrett Mihill, who closed out the game with three strikeouts.

Colby and Jon Caito recorded two hits each for the Blue Bombers and Colby, Mihill and Foster Wood each had a double.

“Our kids made the adjustments at hitting. Then we started hitting the ball,” Brandes said. “Our pitching, other than throwing strikes more often. We let up two hits in the first game and only three this game. We’re there in terms of pitching. We still need to solidify the catching position.”

Despite falling for the first time this season, Brandes said he wasn’t unhappy with how his team played.

“It’s the second game season and you want to learn things in the second game of the season and I think we did,” he said.

The Blue Bombers are currently 1-1 and will take on the reigning Section VII, Class D champions, Crown Point, today at 4:30 p.m. in Lake Placid.

With the win, Saranac Lake improved to 3-1 on the season. Munn said he was happy just to leave Lake Placid with a win, especially against a rival.

“I was proud that our kids kept fighting. We’ve got some work to do and we’ve got to hit, hit, hit and that’s really what it comes down to. Hopefully, with a bit of patience, it’ll come back.”

The Red Storm will host Peru today at 4:30 p.m.