Appleton North baseball rallies to defeat Fond du Lac in FVA opener

AppletonSportsPage.com

FOND DU LAC – The Appleton North baseball team overcame a four-run deficit to defeat Fond du Lac 9-5 in a Fox Valley Association game Thursday at Fond du Lac High School.

The Lightning trailed 4-0 before a five-run fourth inning gave them the lead.

Nathan Ramus had a two-run single and Brennan Otto had an RBI single in the inning for North (3-1, 1-0 FVA).

The Lightning tacked on two runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh to finish off the victory.

Matthew Hietpas earned the pitching win for Appleton North, finishing with five strikeouts and six walks in four innings. Teegan Karpinske picked up the save, striking out four in three innings of relief.

Ramus had three hits, Hietpas drove in three, and Levi Watts and Brennan Otto both had two hits for the Lightning.

Appleton North will play another FVA game at Kaukauna on Friday.

Lightning 9, Cardinals 5
Appleton North   000   520   2   –   9   12   2
Fond du Lac   040   010   0   –   5   6   3
WP: Matthew Hietpas. LP: Bryson Patton. SV: Teegan Karpinske.
SO: Hietpas (4 inn.) 5, Karpinske (3 inn.) 4; Patton (4 inn.) 1, Brady Streblow (2 inn.) 1, Hudson Burg (1 inn.) 0. BB: Hietpas 6, Karpinske 2; Patton 1, Streblow 3, Burg 0.
Top hitters: AN, Levi Watts 2×3, 2 RBI; Logan Hudson 2 runs; Nathan Ramus 3×4, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Brennan Otto 2×3, RBI; Hietpas 1×2, 3 RBI. F, Noah Ditter 2×3, 2B, 2 RBI; Alex Demos 2 RBI.
Records: Appleton North 3-1, 1-0 Fox Valley Association; Fond du Lac 0-2 overall and Fox Valley Association.