The weather is heating up and so is the Monroe Division race in the Mon-Clair League.

The Waterloo Millers won two more games this past weekend to improve to 5-1 in league play, with the Millstadt Green Machine only one game back with two wins as well.

The Valmeyer Lakers split two doubleheaders over the weekend against the St. Louis teams.

Waterloo downed the Belleville Rockies on Sunday, 5-1 and 7-3. 

Coming off last week’s no-hitter, Millers lefty Matt McGilvray pitched five and one-third innings with five strikeouts for the game one win. Ethan Ruff went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and run scored. Ty Kueper went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run. 

In the second game, Keegan Baxmeyer paced the Waterloo offense by going 3-for-4 with a run. Trey  Kueper added two hits, two RBIs and two runs. A four-run fifth inning broke open a close contest.

The Millers host St. Clair Division leader Cape Girardeau (6-0) for a Sunday doubleheader at SPPS Field. The Capahas are led on the mound by Austin Dill (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 strikeouts) and Spencer Burnham (2-0, 2.55 ERA, nine strikeouts) and at the plate by Austin Bucher (6-for-15, five runs) and Trent Probst (7-for-18, two triples).

Millstadt won 8-4 and 7-4 over the St. Louis Printers on Sunday. 

Cal Kossina threw another complete game on the hill and his brothers Tony and Joey combined for five hits to lead the Green Machine offense in the first game. Dupo product Austin Francis added a two-run home run.

The three Kossina boys contributed two hits apiece and Dylan McEwen added a hit and two RBIs in the second game. A four-run sixth inning propelled Millstadt to victory.

Cal Kossina is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA and eight strikeouts on the mound and is 7-for-17 with five runs at the plate this summer. 

Joey Kossina is 11-for-16 with six RBIs. Tony Kossina is 10-for-19 with four stolen bases and five runs.

Millstadt hosts the St. Louis Spikes for a Sunday doubleheader.

Valmeyer lost 7-0 and won 11-2 over the St. Louis Printers on Saturday and won 4-3 and lost 7-1 against the St. Louis Spikes on Sunday.

The Lakers were held to just three hits in the first game Saturday, but busted out the bats in the second game. Cole Juelfs and Easton Wallace had three hits and four RBIs each in the win. John Wuelling added two hits and four runs.

Valmeyer won in walk-off fashion in the first of two games Sunday. Down 2-0 in the fourth inning, Trevor Davis tied the game with a two-run double.

Joe Range relieved Lakers starting pitcher Tim Reinholz in the fifth inning, surrendering a bases loaded single to Jose Ramos of the Spikes.  

Mark Nappier blasted a home run to left to lead off the sixth inning, tying the game again at 3-3.

Wuelling reached on an error to start the bottom of the seventh. Juelfs doubled and following an intentional walk to Matt Reinholz, Wallace won it with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Nappier also homered in the second game, which the Lakers lost. It was Nappier’s third homer of the weekend.

Juelfs (10-for-19, five RBIs) and Wallace (7-for-20, six RBIs) are the early offensive leaders for the Lakers, who battle Belleville at Borsch Park this Sunday afternoon.