It was a busy Friday night across the Appleton area, with high school baseball, softball, track and field, and golf teams all hitting the field. Here's a closer look at how the action unfolded on the diamond.
In baseball, Kimberly came out swinging, plating six runs in the top of the first inning to seize control early. The Papermakers rolled to a 9-3 victory over Appleton East. Jake Mau drove in three runs for Kimberly, while Shaefer Peterson added two RBIs. Blake Dietzen had two hits and two RBIs for the Patriots. Beckett Hermus earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs on three hits over four innings while striking out three. Braeden Hermes closed things out with three strong innings, allowing one run and fanning four.
Over in Oshkosh, Hortonville used a five-run fifth inning to pull away from the Spartans. Gary Wuest delivered a key two-run single during the rally, finishing with two RBIs alongside Brock Wolter. Derek Baumbach, Jack Tennie, and Wuest each collected two hits. Isaac Behnke picked up the win, pitching five innings with four strikeouts while allowing just two unearned runs. Matthew Tank handled the final two frames.
Appleton North showed some late-inning grit, rallying from a 4-1 deficit to top Fond du Lac 7-4. The Lightning scored four runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth. Brennan Otto had three hits and two RBIs, Nathan Ramus drove in three, and Logan Gross chipped in two hits. Colin Reddy went 5⅓ innings, allowing four unearned runs while striking out seven. Isaak L’Esperance closed out the win with 1⅔ scoreless innings.
Neenah wasted no time putting Appleton West away, scoring six runs in the first inning and three more in the second to cruise to victory. The Rockets pounded out 12 hits and took full advantage of four errors and five walks issued by the Terrors' defense.
Finally, Xavier built a commanding 12-1 lead through five and a half innings before holding off a Wautoma rally in the sixth. The Hawks finished with nine hits and capitalized on five errors and six walks from Wautoma pitchers to secure the win.