The beginning was like déjà vu. Same game, same matchup, same starting pitchers.

“It was basically the same game,” Stillwater leadoff batter Pad Getchell said.

That part is good — Getchell and the rest of the team really get up for the rivalry, he said. But there was one piece of the story they wanted to change: the score.

Last year, the Ponies lost, 2-0. This year, they turned it around in a big way, pounding starter Evan Johnson and reliever Matt Jellum for twelve hits and nine runs sprinkled steadily throughout the game to beat Forest Lake 9-0.

An earlier experience with Forest Lake this year — in which the Rangers overcame a seemingly sturdy Stillwater lead — had taught the Ponies to never take a few runs for granted, Getchell said.

“It meant a lot to beat them today,” said Getchell, who had five hits on the day. “I felt really good today.”