The Minnewaska Area baseball team improved to 9-0 in the WCC with three conference wins last week.  The Lakers opened up last week’s action with a 12-0 rout of Melrose Area last Monday night in a game made up from the previous week.

Three nights later, the Lakers had little problem in sweeping a pair of games from West Central Area at home, 19-0, 14-1, pounding out 27 hits in the process, including another homerun by Noah Jensen, who has three homers in the last five games.

The week came to an end with a 13-3 win over KMS at home, Friday, and an 8-4 loss at NLS, Saturday, in a makeup game.  

This week, the Lakers are set to play a twinbill at Benson, Tuesday (tomorrow) before coming home for a game with Paynesville, Friday.  Minnewaska is also set to complete a suspended game with Montevideo at 1:30 p.m., Thursday.

The Lakers currently lead the WCC with a 9-0 record (Lakers are 11-2 overall), followed closely by Montevideo (10-1), Morris Area (7-2) and Melrose Area (8-4).

Waska 12, Melrose 0

The Minnewaska Area baseball team had four players with two hits each, including two with homeruns, during a 12-0 rout of Melrose Area last Monday night at home.

The game was the second game of a doubleheader that had started Friday, but had to be postponed due to rain.

It took just four batters for the Lakers to take control of the game.  Jack Majerus led off the game with a single and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Levi Johnson.

Dylan Alexander put Waska ahead with a two-run homer for a quick 2-0 Laker lead and Noah Jensen  followed with a solo blast.

That was more than enough offense for starting pitcher Alex Panitzke, who improved to 4-0 for the season with the complete-game one-hitter with seven strikeouts.

The only hit allowed by Panitzke was a two-out single in the third.  Otherwise, the Dutchmen went down in order in the first and fourth innings, and had only three other players reach base on a walk and two hit-by-pitch.

Jensen ended the game 2-for-3 with a double, homer, two runs scored, a walk and three RBI, while Alexander was also 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBI, a walk and homerun.

Majerus also had two hits, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Levi Johnson was 2-for-3 with a run, sacrifice and stolen base.

Adding one hit each were Austin Weber and Nathan Dell (double and also scored twice), while Connor Erickson, Thomas Poegel and Austin Ballhagen all scored runs.

Waska 19-14, WCA 1-0

The Lakers swept a doubleheader from West Central Area, outscoring the visitors 33-1 and outhitting them 27-3.

Jack Majerus was 5-for-8 during the twinbill, while Noah Jensen was 5-for-6, Alex Panitzke was 4-for-7, Austin Weber was 4-for-5 and Dylan Alexander was 3-for-6.

In the first game, Nathan Dell earned the win with relief help from Connor Erickson.  The two Waska pitchers combined to throw a one-hitter.

Majerus was 3-for-4 with a run, three RBI, a walk and stolen base, while Jensen was also 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double and three RBI.

The Lakers scored six runs in the first and 10 in the second, turning the game into a rout.

Alex Panitzke and Austin Weber added two hits each for the Lakers, while Alexander, Riley Dell and Ryland Martin also had hits.

•  In the second game, the Lakers scored at least two runs in four of their six at-bats to end the game early again due to the 10-run rule.

Jack Majerus earned the complete-game win, allowing just two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.

Offensively, five Lakers had two hits each, including Jensen, who was 2-for-2 with a run, three RBI, two walks, a solo homer to lead off the third inning and a sacrifice fly.

Alexander was 2-for-3 with three runs, two walks, a double and three stolen bases, while Majerus was 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, a double and hit-by-pitch, Panitzke was 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, and Weber was 2-or-3 with a run, RBI, double and stolen base.

In other words, there was a lot of Laker offense.

Adding one hit each for the Lakers were Riley Dell and Ryland Martin, while Austin Ballhagen had two RBI, a walk, stolen base and run scored.

Split of weekend games

Jack Majerus, Austin Weber and Connor Erickson had two hits each and Ryland Martin threw a complete-game six-hitter to lead the Lakers to a 13-3 victory over KMS during a non-conference game at home, Friday night.

The Lakers led 4-0 after two innings thanks to an early solo homer by Weber and an RBI-double by Majerus.

After KMS scored its three runs in the third, the Lakers added three more runs in the fourth and six in the sixth to end the game early due to the 10-run rules.

For the game, Majerus was 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, a double and stolen base, while Weber was 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBI, a homerun, walk and stolen base, and Erickson was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

Adding one hit each were Noah Jensen, Nathan Dell and Thomas Poegel, while Levi Johnson walked three times and scored twice.

Martin pitched all six innings, giving up six hits and three runs with eight strikeouts.  He improved to 3-0 for the season.

•  During the loss to NLS, Alex Panitzke took the loss on the mound with relief help from Nathan Dell.

Panitzke also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, run scored and RBI, while Jack Majerus was 2-for-2 with an RBI, three stolen bases and was twice hit by a pitch.

Thomas Poegel and Levi Johnson also had hits for the Lakers, while Riley Dell scored a run and walked three times.

at Waska 12, Melrose 0

Waska (8-1) 4 2 2 0 4 — 12 10 0

Melrose 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 1 3

HITTING:  WASKA-Dylan Alexander 2-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, bb, HR; Noah Jensen 2-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, bb, double, HR; Levi Johnson 2-for-3, run, sb; Jack Majerus 2-for-4, run; Austin Weber 1-for-2, run, RBI, bb; Nathan Dell 1-for-2, 2 runs, double; Connor Erickson 0-for-2, run, hbp . . . MEL-one hit

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Alex Panitzke (W, 4-0)  5-1-0-0-1-7 . . . MEL-B. Dobmeier (L)  2/1-3-7-8-6-2-2; S. Wehlage 2/3-2-0-0-0-0; A. Bersheit 2-1-4-0-3-3

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at Waska 19, WCA 0

WCA 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 1 2

Waska (9-1) 6 (10) 0 3 x — 19 13 0

HITTING:  WASKA-Jack Majerus 3-for-4, run, 3 RBI, bb, sb; Noah Jensen 3-for-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI, double; Alex Panitzke 2-for-2, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 2 bb, double; Austin Weber 2-for-2, 2 runs, 4 RBI, bb, sb; Dylan Alexander 1-for-3, run, RBI, bb, triple; Riley Dell 1-for-1, 3 runs, RBI, 2 bb; Ryland Martin 1-for-2, 2 runs, RBI, bb, hbp; Austin Ballhagen 0-for-1, run, 2 RBI, bb, sb  . . . WCA-one hit

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Nathan Dell (W, 2-1)  3-1-0-0-0-5; Connor Erickson 2-0-0-0-3-4 . . . WCA-O. Sansted (L) 1 2/3-7-14-14-9-2; M. Boyd 1 1/3-4-2-2-1-2; Trent 1-2-3-1-0-2

at Waska 14, WCA 0

Waska (10-1) 3 0 3 2 0 6 — 14 14 3

WCA 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 2 4

HITTING:  WASKA-Jack Majerus 2-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double, hbp; Dylan Alexander 2-for-3, 3 runs, 2 bb, double, 3 sb; Noah Jensen 2-for-2, run, 3 RBI, 2 bb, HR, sacfly; Alex Panitzke 2-for-5, 2 runs, RBI; Austin Weber 2-for-3, run, RBI, double, sb; Connor Erickson 1-for-2, run; Nathan Dell 1-for-2, run, 2 bb; Riley Dell 1-for-1, run, RBI; Thomas Poegel 1-for-1, run, hbp; Ryland Martin 0-for-1, RBI, 2 bb   . . . WCA-two with one hit each

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Jack Majerus (W, 1-0)  6-2-0-0-0-7 . . . WCA-A. Bennett (L)  4-7-8-8-6-3; D. Anderson 2-6-6-4-2-0

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at Waska 13, KMS 3

KMS 0 0 3 0 0 0 — 3 6 5

Waska (11-1) 0 4 0 3 0 6 — 13 9 2

HITTING:  WASKA-Jack Majerus 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double, sb; Austin Weber 2-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR, bb, sb; Connor Erickson 2-for-4, 2 runs, RBI; Noah Jensen 1-for-2, 2 bb; Nathan Dell 1-for-3, 1 run, bb; Thomas Poegel 1-for-3, 2 runs, RBI, bb; Levi Johnson 0-for-1, 2 runs, 3 bb; Dylan Alexander 0-for-3, RBI, 2 bb; Alex Panitzke 0-for-2, 1 run, RBI, 2 bb, sb  . . . KMS-Jared Cortez 3-for-3, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR; Evan Zimmer 2-for-3

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Ryland Martin (W, 3-0)  6-6-3-3-0-8 . . . KMS-L. Jeseritz (L)  3 2/3-7-7-6-7-6; L. Rudningen 1 1/3-2-4-4-3-1; K. Payne 1/3-0-2-2-2-1

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