LA CROSSE — The Holmen High School baseball team scored runs at the right times with sole possession of first place in the MVC on the line on Thursday.
The Vikings tied Aquinas with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, then recorded an 8-7 victory when right fielder Joe Meeter singled to center with two outs in the bottom of the eighth at Lee Gilbert Field.
Holmen was the home team in the first game of the doubleheader and the visiting team in the second. Darkness stopped the second game.
Meeter’s single, a flare that dropped in front of the glove of a diving center fielder, scored left fielder Riley Weisbecker, who led off with a single and moved to second base when center fielder Mason Flury drew a two-out walk.
The Vikings (4-1, 3-0 MVC) broke away from a first-place tie with the Blugolds (3-1, 2-1) at the top of the standings after the teams combined for seven errors.
Aquinas faced a 6-2 deficit before scoring five runs in the top of the seventh with the help of three Holmen errors. The Blugolds had just one hit in the seventh, and that was a run-scoring single by first baseman Aedan David.
The final two runs of the seventh scored on consecutive errors before Holmen third baseman Landon Kelly tied things up with a single that scored Meeter in the bottom of the seventh.
Meeter was 2 for 5 with a double, two runs scored and two driven in for Holmen. Kelly was 2 for 4 with the RBI, and catcher Noah Carlson drove in two runs and stole a base.
Senior Waylon Hargrove was 2 for 4 with two runs driven in for Aquinas. Infielder Marcus Klar doubled and drove in two runs, and shortstop Jonny Deets scored twice.
Onalaska 6, Logan 5
ONALASKA — Trent Oyen scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Hilltoppers broke the tie and claimed the victory.
Onalaska (2-3, 1-3 MVC) received a double and a single from center fielder and leadoff hitter Tyler Kowal and two runs driven in from third baseman Carson Zinnecker while winning a conference game for the first time in four tries.
Oyen scored after Ian Kowal was walked to load the bases with one out.
Jagger Banasik struck out nine batters over four innings for Onalaska.
Preston Elston struck out nine over 4 1/3 innings for Logan (2-3, 2-2), which finished with 10 hits.
Catcher/pitcher Jackson Bosch, shortstop Hank Bosch and left fielder Charlie Zellner were all 3 for 4 for the Rangers, and Jackson Bosch doubled and drove in two runs.
West Salem 10, Luther 0 (5)
WEST SALEM — The Panthers (3-2, 3-1 Coulee) scored seven times in the third inning, and Kayden Dettmering pitched a three-hitter.
Dettmering struck out two, allowed three singles and didn’t walk a batter in a complete game for West Salem.
First baseman Terryn Boland was 3 for 4, scored twice, stole two bases and drove in two runs, while third baseman Will Schmidt and catcher Greyson Garbers added two hits apiece.
