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Lakemen edge Merchants in South-Central matchup

Waupaca handed New London a 4-2 defeat Sunday in a BABA South-Central Division matchup in Waupaca.

The Lakemen also picked up a 7-0 win Friday over Freedom and defeated Tigerton 14-4 June 22.

Waupaca 4,

New London 2

Waupaca starter Jeff Riddle got out of the first inning after the Lakemen turned a 6-4-3 double play on a ball hit into the hole at short. The Lakemen came to bat and came up with two runs. Riddle led off with a soft single to left, Luke Behm reached on an error and David Yeska hit a soft pop fly that dropped between the center fielder and shortstop for a two-run single.

Riddle got out of the second on three pitches despite giving up a leadoff single. The next batter bounced into a 1-4-3 double play and the later batter popped out on the first pitch.

Waupaca added another run in the fourth, as Andy Wanty and David Yeska drew Walks and Rocky Mondello followed with an RBI single.

Merchant hurler Andy Brooker set the Lakemen down in order in the next two frames, but New London didn’t score until the seventh. The Merchants put two runners on in the third, fourth and sixth, but came up empty each time.

Lakemen center fielder Braden Kaminske made a routine catch in the sixth and was also able to throw out Tyler Fuhs at the plate.

The Merchants scored off of a tiring Riddle in the seventh. Luke Seavecki singled and Riddle hit Andy Thorpe with a pitch with two outs. Leadoff hitter Kyle Prey then launched a drive to center field to drive in two runs to cut Waupaca’s led to 3-2.

Waupaca added a big insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, as Wes Austin led off with an infield single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Luke Behm’s two-out single up the middle.

Riddle had two of Waupaca’s seven hits, while Brooker, Eric Rasmussen and Gary Herzfeldt each had two hits for New London.

Waupaca 7,

Freedom 0

Wanty held the Mets to two hits over six innings, while Kaminske pitched the seventh without allowing a baserunner.

The Lakemen did all of their offensive damage in the second by sending 12 men to the plate and scoring seven runs. Riddle, Eric Brehmer and Behm doubled, while Mondello and Jason Wanty added a pair of singles each.

Brehmer, Shawn Peskie, Kaminske and Austin added hits later in the game.

Waupaca 14,

Tigerton 4

TIGERTON – A season-high 15 hits – including five for extra bases – added up to a win over the Tigers.

Waupaca scored eight runs in the top of the first on five hits, two errors and a hit batter. Brehmer hit a two-run home run, Josh Peterson added a two-run double and Riddle hit a three-run homer in his second plate appearance in the inning.

Brehmer added a double in the third as part of a two-run inning.

Tigerton cut the deficit with a run in the third and fourth innings and two in the fifth off of Yeska, who survived an error and hit in the sixth and a hit in the seventh to log a complete-game victory.

Andy Wanty belted a two-run homer in the sixth for Waupaca and Brehmer finished his hot night at the plate with a two-run single in the seventh to finish with a team-high four hits. Riddle, Wanty, Peterson and Dane Larsen added two hits each.

Waupaca 5,

Rosholt 2

The Lakemen played a solid game in backing a strong nine innings of pitching from Riddle June 20 to defeat the Renegades.

Again the Lakemen did their damage in the early innings and were fortunate to hang on over the final innings as their offense came to a skidding halt.

The game was played at a brisk pace as the pitchers not only pitched quickly, but also threw a lot of strikes to keep the defenses active. Riddle must have had his sinker working, as Rosholt kept pounding the ball into the ground. In fact he got 21 outs from ground balls. He only struck out three while walking an equal number and hitting two.

A pair of Rosholt pitchers combined to throw a six-hitter. All six hits were off Jason Zinda, who worked 5 1/3 innings before being relieved by Luke Vosz. Vosz gave up a walk and hit a batter before retiring the final eight in a row.

Waupaca cracked the scoring column first with a run in the second. After a walk and flyout, Behm grounded into a force out. He stole second before scoring on Kaminske’s double to right center.

Waupaca added four runs in the third to take a five-run lead. After a strikeout, Riddle singled with a perfectly placed bunt and stole second before Jason Wanty walked. Nate Nelson beat out a bunt to load the bases and Andy Wanty walked to force in a run. Yeska followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center and Behm grounded a single to right for an RBI. Kaminske singled again to plate the fourth run, but that was just about it for the Lakemen offense on the day.

Kaminske did get another single leading off the sixth. After an out, Vosz came on to walk and hit a batter to load the bases, but got out of it by striking out Steve Dake and Nelson.

Rosholt cut into the deficit in the fifth. After a walk and an out, a wild pitch moved the runner to second and another groundout moved him to third.

He scored easily from there, as Luke Dobbe bounced an infield single over the head of Riddle, but in front of the shortstop. Another single moved Dobbe into scoring position and he scored when a groundball went through the legs of Behm at third base.

Rosholt did get two on in the eighth, but a line drive double play ended the inning. The Renegades got another on in the ninth, but nice infield plays from Andy Wanty and Austin at second base ended the game.

Waupaca 12,

Clintonville 0

The Lakemen bats were hot June 16, as they pounded out 12 hits, including four doubles and a home run.

Andy Wanty went five strong innings, allowing only three hits. Dean Nelson finished the game giving up only one hit.

The Lakemen scored five times in the second on five hits. Behm and Kaminske started the inning with hits and Peterson singled in a run. Dean Nelson got a RBI fielder’s choice, Riddle doubled and Austin followed with a single to complete the scoring.

Mondello had an RBI double in the third before the Lakemen added six runs on four hits in the sixth. Austin doubled and trotted home on Wanty’s home run over the left center field fence.

Waupaca then took advantage of five walks and hits by Kaminske and Austin to complete the game’s scoring.

Appleton 10,

Waupaca 1

Waupaca’s game against the Legends the following night was about the exact opposite of the Clintonville game, as the Lakemen played the Legends tough for five innings before giving up a big number in the sixth.

The teams were tied at 1-1 after four innings, with Kaminske driving in Yeska, who singled and moved up on a long single by Behm.

Yeska gave up a double and single in the second for the Appleton run. Behm relieved him in the fourth and got by with no problems. Appleton did score three in the fifth by taking advantage of two walks, an error and two hits and finished the game in the sixth with six runs on five hits.

Behm led Lakemen hitters with two of the team’s six hits.

Jackpot Raffle update: Lakemen fans who did not make it to last week’s games need to be reminded that players and concession staff are now selling the team’s annual Jackpot Raffle tickets. This is a cash prize payout with winners of $500, $400, $300, $200 and $100. There will also be five $50 winners and 10 $25 winners.

A maximum of 300 tickets will be sold for $10 each. The drawing will be Friday, July 16, after Waupaca’s game with Marion at Lakemen Field.

Winners do not have to be present to win. Because there seldom will be tickets available the night of the drawing, fans are urged to get theirs purchased in the next week or two.

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