The Oilmen found themselves on the verge of being shutout Tuesday, as they trailed 4-0 heading into the ninth. While the Oilmen lost against the Lake County Corn Dogs, they did not go down without a fight, scoring two in the ninth and leaving the tying run on base.

The Oilmen fell to Lake County 4-2, allowing the Corn Dogs to take a three game lead for first place in the league standings. While the Oilmen offense was not as explosive, the pitching staff was consistent all throughout Tuesday’s matchup. 

Starting pitcher Aaron Buckholtz went five innings, allowing just three hits of one run ball. Buckholtz picked up the loss however, giving him a 3-1 record as a starting pitcher. 

“Buckholtz has really developed command of off-speed and throws it in any count, and feels really confident with it,” Oilmen Manager Adam Enright said. “He keeps hitters off balance, and the contact that he does give up typically doesn’t do a lot of damage,” Enright said. 

With Tuesday’s loss in Crown Point, Ind. the Oilmen have lost their second straight, and hold the second place spot in the Northern League standings. Offensively, the Oilmen totaled five hits, and were held scoreless up until the last inning. Graham Mastros had the sole multi-hit performance against Lake County, going 2-for-4. 

In the fourth inning, the Oilmen trailed by two runs and missed an opportunity leaving two runners on base in scoring position with no outs. 

“We didn’t change our approach to score those runs, and we kind of just approached it as if there was nobody on,” Enright said. “In low scoring games, you need to see those chances get cashed in.”

The season series between the Oilmen is tied 4-4, both teams staying undefeated against each other when playing at home. 

The Oilmen’s record dropped to 21-12 on Tuesday, and will travel to Nappanee, Ind. Wednesday July 12 to face-off against the Elkhart County Miracle at 6:10 p.m.