Panthers hand Waupaca first baseball defeat

By Greg Seubert

Johnny Popham picked up the win on the mound and also hit two home runs for Waupaca April 19 in an 11-4 North Eastern Conference win over Fox Valley Lutheran. Greg Seubert Photo

Oconto Falls handed the Waupaca baseball team its first loss of the season.

The teams split a North Eastern Conference doubleheader April 23 in Oconto Falls. The Comets won the first game 6-1, but the Panthers took the second 3-1 to end Waupaca’s seven-game winning streak.

Waupaca also picked up conference wins over Clintonville and Fox Valley Lutheran.

Waupaca 6, Oconto Falls 1
Oconto Falls 3, Waupaca 1
OCONTO FALLS – The Panthers’ Evan Sigmund struck out 14 batters and held the Comets to one run in the second game.

Jake Popham had two hits for Waupaca in the game.

Waupaca 8, Clintonville 1
CLINTONVILLE – Waupaca knocked off the Truckers April 21 in a game called after five innings because of rain.

The Comets scored three times in the third inning and added four more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth and outhit the Truckers 11-2.

Jason Ellie picked up the win on the mound and also had two hits. Shane Olsen, Brenden Canterbury and Johnny Popham also had two hits for Waupaca.

Waupaca 11, FVL 4
WAUPACA – Johnny Popham hit a pair of home runs, drove in four runs and struck out seven batters to get the win on the mound.

The Comets scored three times in the first and second innings to take a 6-0 lead.

The Foxes cut into the lead with a three-run third, but Waupaca added two more runs in the bottom of the inning before scoring once in the fourth and twice in the fifth.

Popham and Hayden Neidert had three of Waupaca’s 14 hits, while Walker Smith and Canterbury added two each and Olsen and Neidert drove in a pair of runs.

Waupaca hosted Little Chute April 26 and will head to Little Chute for a 4:30 p.m. matchup with the Mustangs Thursday, April 28. The Comets will then host Antigo Friday, April 29, and Luxemburg-Casco Monday, May 2.