The Minnewaska Area baseball team clinched at least a share of the WCC title after winning three more conference games last week, including a 4-3 win over Montevideo in a game suspended from April 30.

The Lakers are 12-0 in league play and 15-2 overall heading into a doubleheader at Morris Area-CA, Tuesday (tomorrow).  The Tigers are currently second in the WCC with a 10-2 record, while Montevideo dropped to 11-3 and Melrose is 9-5.

Minnewaska Area also hosted Paynesville, Friday, winning 5-3, but results of that game will be highlighted next week.

The Lakers were set to host Redwood Valley, Monday, but that game has been pushed back to Thursday, May 23.  In addition, the Section 3AA Tourney is set to start Tuesday, May 28.  For info about the section tourney, see Speaking of Sports column on page 2B.

Waska 9-17, Benson 0-0

The Lakers swept a doubleheader at Benson last Tuesday night, moving them a little closer to another WCC title.

Minnewaska did not give up any runs in the twinbill, winning game one 9-0 and also winning the second game 17-0 after ending the game early due to the 10-run rule.

Dylan Alexander went 5-for-8 to lead the Laker offense during the doubleheader, while Jack Majerus was 3-for-5 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch and, oh yeah, Noah Jensen clubbed a two-run homer in the second game.

Nathan Dell earned the pitching victory in the first game, striking out 13 batters over six innings and allowing just two hits and three walks.  Austin Weber pitched one inning of relief.

Majerus went 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and two stolen bases to lead the Minnewaska offense, while two others had two hits each.

Alexander was 2-for-5 with a run and stolen base and Austin Weber was 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, two walks and a stolen base.

The Lakers led 2-0 through four innings before scoring five in the fifth to turn the game into a rout.Adding one hit each were Jensen, Connor Erickson and Levi Johnson.

•  In game two, the Lakers scored at least two runs in every inning, ending the game after 4 1/2 innings due to the “mercy rule”.

Majerus earned the pitching victory, pitching the first four innings and giving up two hits and one walk with two strikeouts.  Austin Ballhagen pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Offensively, Alexander went 3-for-3 with two runs, six RBI, a double and walk.  He had an RBI-single in the first, a three-run double in the second, an RBI-single in the third and an RBI-walk in the fourth.

Alex Panitzke added two hits, going 2-for-2 with two runs, an RBI and two walks, while Majerus was 0-for-0 with three runs, an RBI, two walks and hit-by-pitch, and adding one hit each were Riley Dell, Nathan Dell, Thomas Poegel, Levi Johnson and Jensen, who had a big two-run homerun in the second.

Waska 4, Monte 3, 11 inn

The Lakers earned at least a share of the WCC title after beating Montevideo in a suspended game, Thursday, 4-3.

The two teams were tied at 1-1 through four innings when the game was suspended from April 30.  Montevideo came into the game with two losses in league play and the Lakers were unbeaten.

Minnewaska escaped one obstacle in the seventh inning when Nathan Dell’s throw to Dylan Alexander nailed a player at home with what would have been the winning run.

The Lakers finally got a run in the top-half of the 10th when Alexander singled home Jack Majerus with two outs, but Montevideo came right back with a run of its own in the bottom-half of the inning.

In the 11th, the Lakers plated two runs and this time, Minnewaska held off a challenge by the Thunderhawks, who scored a run of their own in the bottom-half of the inning before the Lakers got the final out.

Weber had a two-out single in the 11th and Panitzke followed with another single before Nathan Dell’s RBI-single plated Weber and Panitzke came home on an error.

In Montevideo’s half of the inning, Montevideo had the bases loaded with two outs when Panitzke coaxed a grounder to first base for the final out.

Dylan Alexander went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Austin Weber was 2-for-5 with a run and stolen base to lead the offense.

Jack Majerus had a hit, walk and scored twice, while Levi Johnson, Noah Jensen, Connor Erickson, Alex Panitzke and Nathan Dell also had hits for the Lakers

Ryland Martin had started the game on April 30, but Panitzke took over Thursday, pitching the final 6 1/3 innings to earn the victory.  He gave up five hits, one unearned run and five walks with one strikeout.

Waska 9, at Benson 0

Waska (12-2) 1 1 0 0 5 1 1 — 9 10 1

Benson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 2 5

HITTING:  WASKA-Jack Majerus 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 sb; Dylan Alexander 2-for-5, run, sb; Austin Weber 2-for-2 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 bb, sb; Noah Jensen 1-for-2, run, 2 bb; Connor Erickson 1-for-3, run, bb; Levi Johnson 1-for-3, run, bb, sb; Riley Dell 0-for-1, RBI, bb . . . BEN-two with one each

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Nathan Dell (W, 3-1)  6-2-0-0-3-13; Austin Weber 1-0-0-0-0-2 . . . BEN-Alex Claussen (L) 4 2/3-6-7-3-7-8; C. Goff 2 1/3-4-2-0-0-1

Waska 17, at Benson 0

Benson 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 1

Waska (13-2) 2 7 2 6 x — 17 10 0

HITTING:  WASKA-Dylan Alexander 3-for-3, 2 runs, 6 RBI, bb, double; Alex Panitzke 2-for-2, 2 runs, RBI, 2 bb; Riley Dell 1-for-1, runs, RBI; Noah Jensen 1-for-4, run, 2 RBI, HR; Nathan Dell 1-for-4, sb; Thomas Poegel 1-for-1, run; Levi Johnson 1-for-1, 2 runs, bb, sb; Jack Majerus 0-for-0, 3 runs, RBI, 2 bb, hbp; Ryland Martin 0-for-0, run, RBI, 2 bb; Caden Larson 0-for-0, run, RBI, bb, hbp; Austin Ballhagen 0-for-2, 2 run, RBI, bb  . . . BEN-three with one each

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Jack Majerus (W, 2-0)  4-2-0-0-1-2; Austin Ballhagen 1-1-0-0-0-2. . . BEN-G. Lenz (L)  1 1/3-5-9-9-4-1; Max Nygaard 2-5-7-5-2-3; Noah Goossen 2/3-0-1-1-4-1

at Waska 4, Montevideo 3

Waska (14-2) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 — 4 10 6

Monte 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 — 3 6 3

HITTING:  WASKA-Dylan Alexander 2-for-5, RBI; Austin Weber 2-for-5, run, sb; Jack Majerus 1-for-4, 2 runs, bb, triple; Levi Johnson 1-for-5, RBI; Noah Jensen 1-for-4, bb; Connor Erickson 1-for-5; Alex Panitzke 1-for-5, run, RBI; Nathan Dell 1-for-5   . . . MONTE-six with one hit each

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Ryland Martin 4 2/3-1-2-1-6-4; Alex Panitzke (W, 5-1)  6 1/3-5-1-0-5-1 . . . MONTE-C. Dack 4-2-1-1-1-3; G. Epema (L) 6 2/3-8-3-2-1-7; B. Dack 1/3-0-0-0-0-0

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