Rice Lake’s 12U youth baseball team is competing at the Wisconsin Little League State Tournament in Kenosha. As the District 3 selection, Rice Lake is one of six teams in the tournament. Through three games the Warriors are 1-2.
Rice Lake features a roster split between 11- and 12-year-olds, coach Russ LaPoint said, while a majority of the other teams in the tournament have mostly 12-year-olds on their teams. LaPoint has seen a lot of poise from the squad in a tournament where they are facing the best competition they’ve played all season.
“They’ve been strong mentally and playing one pitch at a time, so it’s good to see that,” LaPoint said. “They are learning from process this being the first time at a state tournament for this group of kids, so it’s good for them.”
In its opening game on Saturday, the Warriors picked up a 10-7 victory over Lakeland Little League of Salem in Kenosha County. Despite trailing 3-0 after the top of the first Rice Lake wasn’t fazed, scoring six times in the bottom of the frame and three more times in the second.
Hunter Waterhouse had a two-run single that brought in Mason Jako and Max Skidmore for Rice Lake’s first two runs in the opening inning. Carter LaPoint then followed with a base knock to score Waterhouse to tie the game. An Owen Willers single brought in Lucas Haynes as the Warriors took a lead they didn’t relinquish. The final runs of the first scored as Scott Saffert drove in LaPoint and then Saffert later scored on a passed ball.
Haynes got an RBI in the second as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the 7-3 advantage. Willers plated two more runs for Rice Lake with a double to bring in Skidmore and Waterhouse.
The Warriors’ final run came in the fifth with Austin Keller scoring an RBI fielder’s choice ground out off the bat of Jako. Haynes closed out the game as the last of five pitchers for the Warriors. Haynes got both of his outs on strikeouts to seal the win. Waterhouse logged the most innings for Rice Lake as he tossed 2.2, giving up a hit and striking out one.
Sunday the team was back on the diamond and faced a tough competitor in tournament host Kenosha, the defending state champion. Kenosha hadn’t allowed a run in each of its last 11 games. Rice Lake ended that streak with a run but Kenosha took the win 15-1. The Warriors’ run came in the fourth as Haynes raced home as LaPoint stayed out of a rundown long enough for his teammate to touch the plate. Monday the Warriors fell 15-0 to Whitefish Bay. Both Kenosha and Whitefish Bay are 3-0 in the tournament.
Rice Lake was back in action Tuesday night against Kennedy Little League of Madison in a game completed after press time. The final game of the round-robin tournament is Wednesday against Merrill. Should Rice Lake finish in the top four of the standings the Warriors would advance to the semifinals to be played Thursday.
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