Lake Mills knocked out by Stoughton in playoff baseball opener, 4-3

Ninth-seeded Stoughton scored the go-ahead run via error in the seventh inning in a 4-3 victory over the eighth-seeded Lake Mills baseball team in a Division 2 regional quarterfinal at Campus Field on Thursday, May 23.

Jaxson Nielsen and Kasen Sperle produced back to back one-out singles in the seventh for the Vikings (10-13). After Casey Quam popped out, Evan Muchka hit a pop fly, reaching on pitcher Brody Henderson's error as pinch runner Aiden Klawitter scored the go-ahead run from second base.

Lake Mills managed a two-out single by Mason Flood in the seventh. He took second on a passed ball before Nolan Kolkovich's fly out to right ended it.

The L-Cats (13-14) led throughout, scoring first on a bases-loaded walk to Henderson in the second.

Alex Parys singled with two outs in the Lake Mills fourth and Max Stelter followed by drawing a five-pitch walk. Henderson dug in next, singling on a hard-hit ground ball to left that brought Parys around. Cooper Murphy added an RBI single on a base knock to right.

Stoughton's Drew Viney and Ian Westerberg drew successive four-pitch walks to lead off the fifth versus starter Ace Everson. Nielsen came up next, driving in Stoughton's first run on a line shot to center. A walk to Sperle loaded the bases, ending Everson's outing.

Henderson came in and punched out Quam. A ground ball off Muchka's bat plated Westerberg with Nielsen scoring on an error at first base to make it 3-3.

The L-Cats were in business in the fifth, taking advantage of a hit by pitch and error to put two runners in scoring position with one away. Jack Vogel laid down a bunt next, with Max Stelter getting cut down at the plate for the inning's second out. Parys, after a seven-pitch at bat, struck out to end the threat.

Everson allowed three earned runs on two hits with six strikeouts, six walks in four-plus innings. Henderson permitted an unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts in three innings and was saddled with the loss.

Stoughton advances to face top-seeded Jefferson in Tuesday's regional semifinal.

STOUGHTON 4, LAKE MILLS 3

Stoughton 000 030 1 -- 4 4 3

Lake Mills 010 200 0 -- 3 6 2

Leading hitters -- S: Nielsen 2x2; LM: Murphy 2x4.

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- S: Muchka 5-5-3-2-5-2, Bailey W; 2-1-0-0-0-1; LM: Everson 4-2-3-3-6-6, Henderson L; 3-2-1-0-0-3.