Mon-Clair teams maintain focus

Pictured is Millstadt pitcher Jake Stedman during a game last season. 

The Millstadt Green Machine churned out three more wins while the Valmeyer Lakers won two of three contests in recent Mon-Clair League baseball action. 

Millstadt (10-1) won all three of its games against the St. Louis Spikes. 

Last Wednesday, it was a 7-3 victory for the Green Machine. A four-run first inning got things started off well for Millstadt. Karl Peters went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Ben Stedman went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. 

The Spikes were held to just three hits, with Jake Stedman getting the pitching win. 

On Sunday, Millstadt won 7-1 and 3-2 over the Spikes. 

In game one, pitchers Evan Spears, Jakob Koehn and Brayden Biggs held the Spikes to just two hits. Cal Kossina and Joey Kossina each had two hits for Millstadt.

In game two, the Green Machine walked it off with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Cal Kossina went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Nick Muskopf added two hits. 

Millstadt hosts Godfrey on Wednesday night, then travels Sunday to Godfrey for a doubleheader. 

Peters is the top hitter thus far for the Green Machine at .500 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Brian Lupa (.441) and Cal Kossina (.429) are also hitting well. 

Joey Kossina and Tony Kossina have each scored 12 runs. 

Valmeyer (7-5) battled the Belleville Rockies in a rainy affair Friday night at Borsch Park – which thankfully has a tarp – winning 6-2. 

A four-run fourth started the motor for the Lakers. Matt Helm doubled twice and drove in two runs. Andrew Whipple and Mark Nappier each had two hits. 

Jacob Thompson pitched a complete game with six strikeouts for Valmeyer.

On Sunday, Valmeyer welcomed the Waterloo Buds to Borsch as the rivals split a twinbill.

In game one, Evan Davis homered and drove in three runs for the Lakers in a 7-2 win. Helm and Kameron Hanvey each had two hits, with Philip Reinhardt pitching five and two-thirds innings for the mound victory. 

In game two, the Buds jumped on Valmeyer starter Henry Litman with seven runs over the first two innings in a 9-2 victory for Waterloo. The Lakers were held to just two hits.

Valmeyer plays Friday against the Spikes in Fairview Heights, then returns to Fairview Heights this Sunday for a doubleheader with the Spikes. 

Helm is the leading hitter for the Lakers in the early going at .448 with 12 RBIs. Hanvey is hitting .429 with 12 runs. 

Thompson is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 14 innings pitched.

Waterloo (2-5) plays this Friday night at Belleville, then hosts the Rockies for a Sunday doubleheader at SPPS Field. 

Landon Moore and Brady Mathews have seen plenty of mound duty for the Buds in the early going, with two of the top hitters for Waterloo being Alex Schreckenberg and Nick Krodinger.

Corey Saathoff

Corey is the editor of the Republic-Times. He has worked at the newspaper since 2004, and currently resides in Columbia. He is also the principal singer-songwriter and plays guitar in St. Louis area country-rock band The Trophy Mules.
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