Offering a modern twist on a July 4 holiday tradition, this year’s Valmeyer Midsummer Classic pitted longtime local baseball rivals against each other for the championship.

In the end, the Waterloo Buds captured their 14th Midsummer Classic title late Sunday afternoon with a 5-2 victory over the Valmeyer Lakers in front of a large crowd.

The star for the Buds was starting pitcher Brooks McDowell. After pitching two innings of relief in a Saturday semifinal victory, the quirky righthander hurled a complete game gem against the Lakers.

The solid individual effort resulted in McDowell being selected as Most Valuable Player of this year’s wooden bat tournament.

In a contest that featured multiple double plays turned by both teams, the Buds broke through first in the second inning. Garrett Schlecht smacked a two-out double, which was followed by an infield single off the bat of Alex Schreckenberg. An errant pickoff throw to first by Lakers starter Trevor Davis led to Schlecht crossing the plate.

The Lakers answered in their half of the second. Adrian Martinez was hit by a pitch and then Evan Davis came through with a two-out single. A bloop single into short center off the bat of Raul Cosme gave Valmeyer a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth inning, Ty Kueper reached on an infield single for the Buds, which was followed by a Keegan Baxmeyer single. After the next two Waterloo batters were retired, a grounder hit by Eric Creech resulted in an infield error that tied the game at 2-2. Nate Albrecht hit an opposite field single to right that plated another for a 3-2 Buds lead.

The Lakers had singles to work with in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings, but McDowell was able to get infield double plays each time.

Meanwhile, the Buds plated another run in the sixth inning on a George Schneider RBI single and their final run in the ninth inning on a Kueper RBI single.

It was fitting that a pregame ceremony for the championship honored the distinguished Mon-Clair League career of longtime Waterloo Buds/Millers manager Vern Moehrs, who tossed out the first pitch. 

Another pregame ceremony recognized all of those donating either money, resources or time to the installment of stadium lights at Borsch Memorial Park.

The lights were turned on for the conclusion of Thursday’s final contest involving the Lakers and Edwardsville Stags, then were put into heavy use for a marathon Saturday night semifinal between the Lakers and Millstadt Green Machine. 

In a game that did not end until early Sunday morning, the Lakers prevailed in 11 innings, 7-6. 

Matt Helm homered and Kenny Otero picked up the pitching win for Valmeyer.

The Buds reached the final by virtue of wins over the St. Louis Printers and St. Louis Spikes. 

In a steamy tourney opener Thursday morning that was played thanks to the Borsch Park tarp after multiple inches of rain fell overnight, Waterloo pulled out a come-from-behind 2-1 win. 

The Printers took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Schlecht walked and following a Kueper bunt out, Baxmeyer singled. Schreckenberg barely beat out a double play grounder – the Printers didn’t think so – and then Zane Timon singled just past second base to tie the game. 

That set the stage for Buds pinch hitter Ryan Bell, who came through with a walk-off RBI single.

The second game on Thursday featured the debut of the Moredock Mashers against the St. Louis Spikes. The Mashers, which feature past and current members of the Lakers, were a late add to the eight-team tourney due to the recent folding of the Cape Girardeau Capahas program.

The Mashers came out mashing in their debut, but the Spikes ultimately outlasted them in a 12-2 six-inning rout.

Ethan Ruff and Cole Juelfs, both recently retired Lakers, led off the game with singles for Moredock, with fellow Lakers retiree Matt Reinholz doubling in Ruff. Juelfs was gunned down at the plate, however.

The Spikes plated five runs in the fourth inning, taking the wind out of Moredock’s sails.

Moredock also dropped its second game of the tournament, 8-1, to the Printers on Saturday.

Thursday’s final two contests saw Millstadt win 8-5 over the Belleville Rockies and Valmeyer win 11-2 over Edwardsville under the new lights.

In Saturday’s first semifinal game, Waterloo won 7-2 over the Spikes in grand fashion. The big blow for the Buds was a grand slam off the bat of Schlecht.

Placing third in this year’s tourney were the St. Louis Spikes, who downed Millstadt early Sunday afternoon by the count of 7-5.

Regular season resumes

The Mon-Clair League regular season resumes, weather permitting, with Millstadt (6-9) hosting the Spikes (9-7) on Thursday night, Waterloo (5-9) hosting a Friday night doubleheader against Belleville (8-6) and then playing two on Sunday against the Spikes in Fairview Heights. 

Valmeyer (13-3) plays Sunday afternoon at Millstadt.