Bob Braunitzer has seen it before. But that doesn't make it any easier to watch.

“All the time it's the same,” the Skaneateles softball coach said. “We get behind early and can't catch up.”

It was business as usual for the Lakers on Monday in a 5-2 loss to Hannibal.

But that doesn't mean the game was without anything unusual. Or downright bizarre for that matter. Especially when you consider that Hannibal pitcher Marlena Shortslef took a no-hitter into the final inning - despite giving up a home run to Brittany Byrd.

Byrd hit a ball so far “she could have walked around the bases,” Braunitzer said. Except she missed first base on her way around, and was called out.

“Everybody saw it,” Braunitzer said. “The first baseman saw it, their coaches saw it, the two umps both saw it.”

With the would-be homer off the board, the Lakers managed just two hits off Shortslef, who recoded 11 strikeouts in the game.

“The girl just shut us down,” Braunitzer said of the Hannibal pitcher, who gave up five hits and took the loss when the Lakers topped 8-5 on April 25.

Skaneateles got on the board in the fourth inning, when Alex Hughes drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Alexis Jones drove her in with a fielder's choice.

Then, down 5-1 in the seventh, Jones broke up the no-hitter with a single, and Terry Blessing followed with a double, the only other hit in the game. Kate Minturn hit into a fielder's choice to score Jones, but that was all the Lakers had in them.

“We rallied a little bit, but we fell short,” Braunitzer said.

Still, the Lakers won't have to wait long for a pick-me-up. Skaneateles plays at Marcellus today in the first round of sectionals. The two teams split a doubleheader on May 11. Skaneateles won 18-8, and lost 12-5.

“We know we can score runs and we have a chance,” Braunitzer said.

Warriors 5

Lakers 2