Lakeville North kept its South Suburban Conference title hopes alive Wednesday in a 9-6, 10-inning win over Eastview in a game that included all drama of an extra-inning affair between league foes.

Mitch Frederick's bases-loaded hit broke a 6-6 tie, and Kaden Tousignant followed with another single to put the Panthers up for good at 9-6 as another chapter was added to the rivalry

Lakeville North advanced out of Class 3A, Section 3 last year behind a 3-0 win over the Lightning in the section tournament. The Panthers went on to finish runner-up in the Class 3A state tournament and that postseason success was present during Wednesday's matchup with Eastview.

Frederick was one of those players who helped lead Lakeville North to the state title game last season, and he again played an integral role Wednesday with a two-run single in the top of the 10th inning, securing a win for the Panthers.

"We've had some bigger guys in terms of production that have graduated. Guys that have been there and done that," Lakeville North coach Tony Market said. "Luckily, Mitch has been there, and he's a guy who stepped up for us (tonight)."

The win gave the Panthers, ranked No. 14 in Class 4A by Let's Play Baseball, a regular season split with the No. 6-4A Lightning (9-2, 8-2), who won the first meeting of the season 6-4 on April 13.

Wednesday's win kept Lakeville North (8-3, 8-3) in the race for the South Suburban crown, one likely go down to the wire again. Last season, Shakopee won the title, but four teams, including Eastview and the Panthers, finished tied for second with 10-7 records.

"It's a fun conference to play in just because you know game-in and game-out, you're going to get a quality game and you're going to be tested and that makes you ready for postseason play," Market said. "You get games like this where the intensity is high, you can't ask for much more to get yourself ready to go."

Drew Stewart gave Lakeville North a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a two-run home run, and Nick Fossey had an RBI single in the fourth to score Nate Klehr.

The Lightning, despite committing eight errors in the game and walking 10 batters, managed to rally three times to even the score. Eastview got three runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning behind an infield single from Brady Miller, an RBI groundout from Gavin Huston and an RBI single from Alex Lindstrom.

The Panthers grabbed a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth when Tyler Fietek's two-out base hit scored Klehr, who drew a lead-off walk, and Fossey, who reached on an error.

But Lakeville North struggled to take advantage of the walks and errors, leaving 15 runners on base.

"We've just got to get it done with two outs," said Stewart, who went 1-for-3 with two runs. 

The Panthers also had a chance to close the game out in the top of the ninth inning when Fietek scored after reaching on an error, but Eastview tied it after Tommy Springer scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth.

"We won that game about five times and I think we lost it about six or seven times," Lightning coach Tom Strey said. "One thing about our kids is I like the way they compete."

With games like this, the rest of the South Suburban Conference schedule will be more than enough competition.

Lakeville North outlasted Eastview for a 9-6, 10-inning road victory in South Suburban action on Wednesday night.

Panthers senior second baseman Mitch Frederick hit a bases-loaded single to score two runs and break a 6-6 tie in the top of the 10th inning.

Kaden Tousignant followed with a base hit to score another run and put Lakeville North (8-3, 8-3), ranked No. 14 in Class 4A by Let's Play Baseball, up by three.

The No. 6-4A Lightning (9-2, 8-2), who rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh and ninth, couldn't mount another comeback as Panthers senior center fielder Drew Stewart made a shoestring catch with a runner on base to end the game.

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