The Valmeyer Lakers fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, splitting a pair of doubleheaders in Mon-Clair League baseball action over the weekend.

Prior to games Saturday and Sunday, the Lakers picked up a 6-2 win last Wednesday over the Millstadt Green Machine. 

Lefty starter Jacob Thompson went the distance for Valmeyer, which got two hits each from Kenny Otero, Mark Nappier and Matt Helm. Dom Voegele went 1-for-1 with three walks and two runs. 

For Millstadt, Brandon Pickus went 2-for-3. 

On Saturday, Valmeyer won 3-2 and lost 3-2 against the St. Louis Spikes. 

In the game one win, the Lakers plated two in the sixth inning and held on. Trevor Davis struck out nine over five innings for the mound victory.

Brandon Gutzler homered for the Spikes. 

In the game two loss, Helm went 2-for-4 for Valmeyer and Luke Gasser struck out seven over five innings pitched. 

On Sunday, the Lakers edged the Waterloo Buds by that familiar 3-2 score in game one. This victory came in eight innings. 

Philip Reinhardt picked up the pitching win with four scoreless innings. Voegele pitched three innings.

Raul Cosme was the offensive leader for the Lakers, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

In the second game, the Buds led 1-0 through six innings before exploding for eight runs in the seventh en route to a 9-0 victory. 

Kameron Hanvey went 2-for-4 for Valmeyer (8-2), which plays a Saturday doubleheader at the Edwardsville Stags and then hosts the Belleville Rockies for two on Sunday. 

Thompson is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 24 strikeouts compared to just one walk in 21 innings pitched. 

The top hitters for Valmeyer are Jonah James at .375 and Helm at .357 with seven RBIs.

The Buds (4-4) will host Millstadt for a doubleheader at SPPS Field this Sunday afternoon. 

The top hitters for Waterloo so far this season are Ty Kueper (.667, five RBIs), George Schneider (.500) and Nate Albrecht (.368).

Millstadt (4-6) is hoping to snap out of a losing skid. 

Following last Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers, the Green Machine fell on Thursday to Edwardsville, 12-7. Connor Patton went 2-for-4 for Millstadt. 

Edwardsville was led on offense by Aidan Gaither, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. AJ Skaer went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Brennan Weik tripled and also drove in two runs. 

Gaither and Weik were senior members of the 2023 Columbia High School baseball squad that placed second in the state. 

Skaer is a Gibault Catholic High School graduate and former member of the Lakers.

On Sunday, the Green Machine dropped both games of a doubleheader against Belleville. The Rockies won by scores of 6-4 and 14-9. 

Cal Kossina and Tony Kossina both collected four hits each on the day for Millstadt, which hosts the Spikes on Wednesday night before Sunday’s battle with Waterloo. 

The leading hitters for the Green Machine so far this season are Brian Lupa (.406) and Cal Kossina (.400, nine RBIs).

Millstadt’s top pitchers are Kamden Casey (0-0, 2.44 ERA) and Jake Stedman (1-1, 3.50 ERA).