Max Stelter’s first-ever varsity home run was one to remember.
The L-Cats’ freshman catcher roped a three-run go-ahead shot to center field in the sixth inning, propelling Lake Mills’ baseball team past Lakeside Lutheran 4-1 in Capitol North play at Campus Field on Tuesday, May 14.
“Max is such a humble kid,” Lake Mills baseball coach Adam Hosey said. “That swing was for the team. That’s probably what I loved the most about it. To see the group rallying around him after an awesome hit like that was neat.”
Lakeside starter Nolan Meis hit Wyatt Werner and Mason Flood to open the sixth. Hosey contemplated small ball to advance the runners but instead let his youngster swing away, something Stelter did to the tune of launching a first-pitch fastball up in the zone just over the fence. Lakeside center fielder Tyler Chopp collided back-first into the wall, nearly robbing the homer with his glove tumbling over the fence near where the ball landed.
“We felt that was the right spot to let Max swing,” Hosey said. “There’s been a progression with getting Max’s bat ready for varsity pitching. To homer for the first time in that spot is pretty special.
“We talk about hot spots and Max got the one he wanted. I was holding the runners with Chopp in center tracking the ball. For a freshman to come up big on Senior Night is awesome.”
Hunter Frohamder pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to earn the save for Lake Mills.
Lake Mills starter Ace Everson allowed a run on five hits in six frames, fanning seven against three walks on 97 pitches, 63 for strikes.
“Ace, a sophomore, was strictly on JV last year,” Hosey said. “The way he’s improved sticks out. His composure going out there against a hungry Lakeside team stands out too. Ace has the attitude to him that ‘you’re not going to beat me’ and he owns the mound.
“He was giving us strikes and understanding we had seven guys behind him defensively. Lakeside, especially the top half of the lineup, comes out ready to punch the ball. In between innings, we talked with Ace about when to work breaking balls in there. He just shows up day in and day out ready to go.”
The L-Cats loaded the bases with no outs in the second, scoring a run on Nolan Kolkovich’s double play. In the fifth, Meis plated Phil Becraft on a sac fly to tie it up.
Meis struck out eight and walked three in 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned on seven hits in the loss. Becraft got the final two outs of the sixth.
“Stelter had the big hit,” Lakeside baseball coach Jake Ziel said. “Credit to him, the game had gone on and on with both teams failing to score with runners on and he got the big hit. We had three or four innings with guys in scoring position and just could not stack quality at bats and hits together.
“Credit to Lake Mills’ pitching and defense, they held us at bay today. It was a well-played game by both sides today and Thursday should be a good ball game as well.”
The L-Cats (11-11, 3-4 in conference), who entered play having dropped four of their past six games, dealt the Warriors, who had a nine-game win streak snapped, a blow in the conference title race. Lakeside (14-4, 4-2 in conference) must now win out to share the league title with Columbus, which has already clinched a share.
The Crosstown Rivals square off at LLHS on Thursday at 5 p.m.
LAKE MILLS 4, LAKESIDE 1
Lakeside 000 010 0 — 1 5 1
Lake Mills 010 003 x — 4 7 0
Leading hitters — LL: Schwab 2x2, Brakmanis (2B), T. Dwyer (2B); LM: Stelter 2x3 (HR).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — LL: Meis L; 5.1-7-4-4-3-8, Becraft 0.2-0-0-0-0-0; LM: Everson W; 6-5-1-1-3-7, Frohmader SV; 1-0-0-0-0-1.
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