Clear Lake upsets Webster City in big 13-3 victory

(Above) Dylan Bieber lays down a bunt to get himself on base during the first inning.  The Lions plated  seven runs in the first inning and finished with 11 hits on the night.by Michelle WatsonThe Clear Lake baseball team won its fifth straight conference game to secure fourth place in the North Central Conference.  The week started on a huge high note, when the Lions broke Webster City’s 32-game NCC winning streak.  Clear Lake was 3-1 on the week, moving its record to 6-5 in the conference and 9-11 overall.CL 13, Webster City 3Clear Lake snapped Webster City’s 32-game North Central Conference baseball winning streak Monday, June 20, with a 13-3, five-inning win at Lions Field. “Our bats came to life and the kids have really been working hard to get better at their hitting,” said Clear Lake Coach A.J. Feuerbach, who also picked up his first win as a head coach over the Lynx. “Our last victory over Webster City was in 2018, the last time we won the NCC.   We told the kids that now we have to look for that consistency at plate each game we have left and keep working at it.”The Lions plated seven runs in the first inning and finished with 11 hits on the night. Andrew Theiss and Zeke Nelson each had three runs batted in, while Ben Loge and Jett Neuberger knocked in two apiece.Neuberger picked up the win, going the full five innings, striking out nine and allowing only one earned run. He surrendered five hits.“Jett is our only senior and our captain and he took our team on his back on the mound and at the plate last night.  We are so excited for him and are looking for more of this as we are winding down his senior season,” said Feuerbach.Webster City plated single runs in the first, third and fifth innings, but when Clear Lake scored four in the fifth, it was enough to end the game by the 10-run rule.  “I think this gave us some huge confidence going forward toward the end of our season and into the tournament,” added Feuerbach.CL 13, IF-A 8The Lions had another exciting game when they faced Iowa-Falls-Alden (2-14) on Wednesday, June 22.Clear Lake scored a run in the first inning and IF-A posted five runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead.  Clear Lake got the bats fired up in the third inning and recorded five runs of their own.  The Cadets scored three runs in the fifth inning to go up, 8-6.  Clear Lake picked it up and scored five more in the sixth and two runs in the seventh for the final 13-8 victory.Ben Loge led the team with three hits, two being doubles.  He also scored four runs.  Jett Neuberger, Titan Schmitt, Tyler LeFevre and Hudson Smith all had two hits apiece.  Schmitt led the team with four RBIs.Andrew Theiss and Cabot Neuberger shared pitching duties.  Theiss pitched 4.2 innings.  He gave up six hits, eight runs, walked three and struck out nine.  Neuberger walked two and struck out three.Decorah 28, CL 3On Thursday, June 23, the Lions ran into a buzz saw when Decorah (17-8) came to town.Clear Lake held on in the first three innings.  The Vikings scored two runs in the second inning and the Lions scored one in the third.  The Decorah team lit up the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth innings.  They scored 15 runs in the fourth and 11 in the fifth.  Clear Lake scored two more runs in the fourth inning.  The Vikings dominated in the 28-3 onslaught.Decorah had 15 hits compared to Clear Lake’s five.  Collecting one hit apiece were Andrew Theiss, Hudson Smith, Jett Neuberger, Dylan Bieber and Zeke Nelson.  Neuberger and Loge’s singles both brought in runners.  Nelson, Tyler LeFevre and Loge recorded the runs.Four Clear Lake pitchers had a turn on the mound.  Bieber recorded the loss.  He pitched three innings, giving up one hit, two runs and walking two.  Mason Murphy gave up five hits and 15 runs and he walked five.  Nick Strayer gave up three runs on four hits, while Justin Kerr have up five hits and eight runs.CL 17, St. Edmond 13It was a better night for the Lions when they traveled to Fort Dodge to take on St. Edmond (6-14) on Friday, June 24.The Lions got off to a great start, scoring six runs in the first inning.  They added two more runs in the third inning for an early 8-0 lead.  The Gaels didn’t get on the board until the bottom of the fifth inning, 8-3.  Clear Lake had a stellar sixth inning, scoring eight runs for a solid 16-3 lead.  The Gaels rallied and scored six runs of their own to close the gap a bit, 16-9.  An RBI single by Ben Loge in the top of the seventh was the Lion’s final run.  St. Eds scored four runs to close the game, 17-13.Jett Neuberger got the start and fanned 12 batters before being relieved in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Neuberger gave up only one hit.  Neuberger has 92 strikeouts for the season.  Alex Kerr pitched 1.2 innings.  He gave up four hits and four runs.  He walked four and struck out one.  Titan Schmitt gave up three hits and nine runs.  He walked four and struck out one.Loge led the team at the plate with four hits, three singles and one double.  He also had three RBIs.  Neuberger knocked a double that brought in three runners.  Andrew Theiss also had a good game at the plate, with three hits and two RBIs.