Charlie Amborn (27) of St. Aloysius and Lake second baseman Jake Nester look to the umpire for a call on a close play at second base in the third inning Thursday. Amborn was thrown out trying for a double.(The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[05/04/01] Nerves had as much to do with St. Aloysius’ 5-2 loss to Lake in the first game of the South State championship series as the Hornets did.

The Flashes (22-4) gave up five runs on five hits and a pair of errors in the first two innings, then were held at bay by Lake pitcher Eric Watkins the rest of the way.

The Flashes, led by Charlie Amborn’s three hits, tattooed Watkins for 12 hits, but stranded seven.

“They were scrappy tonight and they didn’t let me strike many folks out,” said Watkins, who had three strikeouts and coaxed nine flyouts. “They fought me hard and are a great hitting ballclub. I just found a way to get them out.”

The Hornets’ bats, especially in the opening innings, were also impressive.

The free-swinging Hornets (26-7) cranked out a leadoff triple, a single and forced a St. Al error to take a 2-0 lead. Lake, which won the state championship last year, then scored three runs in the second on three singles, a fielder’s choice and an error for a 5-1 lead.

The Flashes scored in the bottom of the first after a two-out double by Amborn and an RBI double by Aaron George.

“I told Aaron that we were going to start warming him up 30 minutes before the game to get rid of the butterflies,” said assistant coach Jamie Trichell, who is filling in for Joe Graves, whose mother died on Wednesday.

George, who was charged with the loss, went the distance, allowing eight hits and striking out three. He only allowed one hit after the first two innings.

“I was nervous and they hit the ball,” said George, who also had a single, double and two RBIs.

George’s RBI groundout in the bottom of the third scored Blake Warnock and cut the lead to 5-2.

Watkins, who has thrown 19 innings in Lake’s last three games, allowed runners on base in every inning, but after the third the Flashes could not score.

St. Al had its best chance in the top of the fifth after Clay Simmons led off with a single. He moved to third when Amborn reached on an error, putting runners at the corners with one out.

Watkins then retired the Flashes’ No. 4 and 5 hitters George and Ryan Hearn to end the threat.

St. Al put two runners on in the seventh, but Watkins pitched out of that jam as well.

“I’m glad we got this win out of the way so now we can come home with the home-field advantage,” Watkins said. “Hopefully, we can knock them out of the way and go on our way to state.’

The Flashes are facing elimination from the best-of-three state playoffs when the two teams meet again Saturday at Lake. Game time is 7 p.m. Hearn is expected to get the start for St. Al.

“We have to play like there is not a tomorrow,” Amborn said. “We have Ryan on the mound and we know he can shut them down. He’s good in the clutch like that.

“If there’s anyone on the mound, I want Ryan up there for that game.”