With a team filled with state tournament veterans, Lakeville North coach Tony Market wasn’t worried about his team would handle the pressure of Saturday’s Class 3A semifinal game against Northfield.

A little rain, however, had him concerned. The game, scheduled to start at 10 a.m., was delayed for 3 hours, 21 minutes due to a stubborn sprinkle that wouldn’t leave. Giving high school-age boys that much time to fill, Market said, was worrisome.

“You can only make so many prank calls from the dugout,” he said. “I thought our guys handled that adversity well.”

Well enough to pull out a 5-3 victory and advance to Monday’s championship game at Target Field. The Panthers pounded out 10 base hits – two each from Nick Juaire, Mitch Frederick and Drew  Stewart.

Stewart, who also drove in a run, is playing in his seventh consecutive state tournament despite being just a junior. The Panther baseball team has made three of those tournament appearances while the football and basketball teams, for whom Stewart plays, have each appeared in two state tournaments.

Showing the confidence of a player comfortable in his environment, Stewart leaned casually against the railing outside the dugout after the victory as he answered post-game questions.

“I like playing in front people,” Stewart said. “I like playing on a big stage, putting on a show.”

Northfield scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first on an RBI triple by Caleb Malek.

Lakeville North responded in the top of the third, taking the lead for good with three runs. Juaire double home a run, Angelo Altavilla drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Altavilla's batting line was 0-for-0 despite four plate appearances, the result of two walks and two sacrifices. A third run scored on a wild pitch.

Lakeville North added a run in the fourth on an RBI-double by Stewart and another in the seventh, after Northfield had cut the lead to 4-3, on Frederick’s RBI single to right.

“That fifth run was huge,” Northfield coach Peter Maus said. “That changed our approach.”

Lakeville North (19-7) started the season as the No. 1-ranked team in Class 3A. It is now one game away from making that ranking seem prophetic.

“That ranking was a result of last year and our success in the summer,” Market said. “But we’ve had a couple of little stretches this year that have been trying. Hats off to our guys for their work ethic and their accountability. That shows the kind of character we have.”

Lakeville North advanced to Monday’s Class 3A championship game at Target Field with a 5-3 victory over Northfield in the Saturday’s rain-delayed semifinals.

Lakeville North’s Wes Ahlers started and went 4 2/3 innings to earn the victory. Brett Herber relieved and picked up the save. Mitch Frederick, Drew Stewart and Nick Juaire each had two hits for the Panthers (19-7).

Northfield, which had defeated top seed and two-time defending champion Mounds View in the quarterfinals, fell to 21-5.

Check back later for more on the game.