JERRY CITY — Lake’s baseball team did just about everything right in its Division III sectional final
matchup with Woodmore Tuesday.
The Flyers executed on offense, played flawless defense, and got a shutout pitching performance from
senior Casey Witt. PHOTO
GALLERY
The result was an 8-0 win over the Wildcats at Elmwood High School, and a spot in the district semifinals
May 19 at Defiance against the winner of Tinora and Liberty Center.
Witt allowed just two hits and one walk in seven innings, striking out five batters as he let his defense
make plays behind him throughout the game.
“I have a ton of confidence in my defense behind me. If I can throw strikes, I know we’re going to be
able to get people out,” said Witt, who retired 17 of the final 18 batters he faced. He allowed a single
in the first and the second for Woodmore’s only hits in the game.
“I always tell my teammates to get me a lead and I’ll be fine. They got me a lead today and we came out
on top.”
Witt also had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.
Cleanup hitter Corey Hotmer went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, Ryan Kohlhofer finished 2-for-3 with
two runs, and RJ Schultz added two singles as Lake’s first six batters combined to go 9-for-17.
“Casey (Witt) did a great job of throwing strikes, pounding the zone, and we made some nice plays behind
him,” Lake coach Greg Wilker said. “He’s extra good when that wind is blowing in … We fielded the ball
well, so that was important, and we executed early on. We got some bunts down, got the squeeze play
down, so that helped.
“Once we got up four or five runs he just pounded the zone. We’ve talked about that all year, because
he’s not going to overpower anyone, but he’s going to throw strikes and we’ve just got to make the
plays.”
Lake scored at least one run in each of the first four innings, building a 6-0 lead.
The Flyers scored in the first after Kohlhofer drew a two-out walk and then stole second base. Hotmer
then stroked a single to score Kohlhofer for the game’s first run.
Lake added two more runs in the second, as Schultz led off the inning by reaching on an infield error. A
sacrifice bunt by Josh Tantari moved Schultz to second, then No. 9 hitter Casey Conine drove in Schultz
with a base hit. Witt followed with a double to score Bandeen and Lake led 3-0.
Two more runs in the third, on a base hit by Schultz and a suicide squeeze by Materni, and then an RBI
single by Kohlhofer in the fourth gave Lake a six-run lead after four.
“They knew the strike zone and we got some key two-out hits,” Wilker said. “We’ve been able to do that
all year. We just need to continue to do that and we can continue to be a good team.”
Lake added two runs in the sixth off reliever Derek Benner, with Hotmer’s two-RBI single providing the
final runs of the game.
Woodmore starting pitcher David Jacobs went five innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits and two
walks.
Due to the excessive rain in the area throughout the spring season, Lake has a gauntlet of a schedule in
the next week before districts.
The Flyers, 18-3 overall, have Suburban Lakes League games against Elmwood at home today, at Genoa on
Friday, Otsego at home Monday, Genoa at home on Tuesday, and at Elmwood on Wednesday.
Lake is is the only undefeated team in the SLL with a record of 7-0.
“It’s tough, just like it is for everyone, because everyone is backed up … So it will come down to
pitching depth for everyone,” Wilker said of the upcoming schedule.
“We’re going to focus on the league now and just work to try to win the league, because it’s going to be
a battle. And then we’ll focus our attention to Tinora or whoever wins … We like the challenge.”
DIVISION III
LAKE 8, WOODMORE 0
WOODMORE 000 000 0—0 2 3
LAKE 122 102 X—8 10 0
BATTING LEADERS
HITS — (W) Ulinski, Jacobs; (L) Witt 2, Kohlhofer 2, Hotmer 2, Schultz 2, Mckee, Conine. 2B — (L) Witt 2.
RUNS — (L) Witt 2, Kohlhofer 2, McKee, Schultz, Nichols, Conine. RBI — (L) Hotmer 3, Conine, Witt,
Schultz, Materni, Kohlhofer. SB — (W) Ulinski; (L) Kohlhofer 2, McKee. SAC — (L) Materni 2. HBP — (L)
Kohlhofer (by Benner). LOB — Woodmore 3, Lake 5.
PITCHING SUMMARY
IP H R ER BB SO
Woodmore
Jacobs (LP) 5 9 6 4 2 2
Benner 1 1 2 2 2 0
Lake
Witt (WP) 7 2 0 0 1 5