BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Lake Butler Middle School’s baseball team ended the season with a six-game winning streak in capturing the Suwannee Middle Athletic Conference championship, earning the trophy with a 3-1 win over Keystone Heights on April 25 in Fort White.
It was the Tigers’ second title in three years. Unlike the 2021 team, which had only two losses, this year’s team was looking at a 4-9-1 record before the string of wins.
Head Coach Aaron Tetstone said the Tigers faced a tough non-conference slate, but it wound up paying off with a 7-1 record against conference opponents and eight wins in the final nine games.
It was the fulfillment of the team’s motto: Attitude-Energy-Heart.
“Our guys had great attitudes all season, and they are awesome teammates,” Tetstone said. “Once they started believing in themselves, we played with a lot more energy, and good things started happening. Our season could’ve been disappointing, but the boys showed heart through rough patches. Those rough patches revealed their great character and determination.
“I am very proud of this team.”
Lake Butler reached the SMAC championship game by defeating Fort White 11-2 in an April 24 semifinal game. Starting pitcher Judd Connell gave up two runs (one earned) and four hits through four innings. Fisher Thomassen pitched the final two innings, allowing two hits and no walks.
The pitchers got all the run support they needed as the Tigers put together a 10-run first inning. Connell drew a leadoff walk, while Brezdyn Browning reached on an error. After Weston Thompson hit an RBI single, Westyn Miller walked to load the bases. Fisher Thomassen walked to force one run in, while another run scored when Fort White committed an error on a fly ball hit by Tristan George. Miller scored on a passed ball before Ridge Robinson hit a two-run single.
After the inning’s second out, the Tigers still kept scoring. Connell hit a run-scoring single, while Browning reached on a dropped third strike, which allowed a run to score. Thompson reached on an error, followed by Browning scoring on a wild pitch. Miller then hit an RBI double.
Miller finished 2 for 3 with two doubles and one RBI, while Thompson went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Robinson had two RBI, while the following had one each: Browning, Connell, Thomassen and Brady Tetstone.
In the championship win over Keystone, the Tigers got solid pitching from Tetstone and Miller. Tetstone started and went 3.1 innings, allowing one unearned run, three hits and one walk, while striking out four. Miller finished it off, giving up no hits and two walks, while striking out six.
Lake Butler scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the third. Tetstone hit a leadoff single. Courtesy runner A.J. Rivera advanced to second on Robinson’s sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Connell single.
Keystone tied the score in the fourth. Jacob Beach reached on a fielder’s choice, while Karson Paulk reached on an error. Brock Screen drew a walk to load the bases before Luke Lewis was hit by a pitch, forcing a run in.
The Tigers went back on top in the bottom of the fourth. Miller reached on an error and scored on a Thomassen ground ball.
Lake Butler added its final run in the sixth. Thompson drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a Miller ground out. He eventually scored on an error.
Keystone pitchers Cody Musgrove, Screen and Beach combined to give up just three hits. The Tigers’ Tetstone went 2 for 3.
Getting hot
The Tigers’ win streak to end the season began with a 6-5 win over visiting Fort White on April 10. It was close to being a second straight loss for Lake Butler, which was coming off an 18-4 loss to Bradford, but the Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Lake Butler needed just four at-bats in the final inning to rally and win. George, Miller, and Connell and Browning all hit singles. Connell’s hit scored the first run, while an error allowed Miller to score. Browning’s hit — a line drive into center on a 1-0 count — gave the Tigers the walkoff win.
The Tigers followed that up with a 10-2 win at Keystone on April 11, with Browning and Thompson each driving in three runs.
It was tied at 2-2 before Lake Butler scored three in the fourth inning. Kiptyn Shuler was hit by a pitch to lead off that inning. After Connell walked, Browning and Thompson both hit RBI singles. A Miller ground out drove in the third run.
That was one of two three-run innings. In the seventh, Browning hit a double that scored Walker Richards, who tripled, and Connell, who walked. Thompson then drove in a run on a ground out.
Browning went 2 for 3, while Miller and Thomassen each went 2 for 4. Miller and Tetstone each had one RBI.
Gavin Kuhn pitched one inning, giving up the two runs and one hit. Thomassen pitched six innings of relief, allowing four hits and no walks, while striking out five.
On April 18, the Tigers traveled to play Fort White, getting three RBI from Thompson in a 9-5 win.
Lake Butler fell behind 3-0, but had a big second inning, scoring six runs.
Tetstone led off the second with a single, followed by a George walk. After Brayden Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Robinson hit an RBI single. Connell walked to force a run in, followed by a Browning RBI on a sacrifice fly. Thompson hit a run-scoring single, with another run scoring on the throw, while Miller recorded an RBI with a ground out.
Connell went 2 for 3, while Tetstone and Thompson each went 2 for 4. Connell, Miller and Robinson each had one RBI.
Lake Butler pitchers Connell and Miller combined to give up three hits as the Tigers defeated visiting Keystone 7-1 to conclude the regular season on April 19 and earn the number-one seed in the SMAC tournament.
The Tigers had a big fourth inning. Shuler was hit by a pitch, followed by back-to-back singles by Connell and Browning, with Browning’s hit scoring a run. Miller hit a two-run double, while Thomassen hit a one-run single.
Miller finished 2 for 3 with two doubles and three RBI, while Connell and Thomassen each went 2 for 4.
Browning, George and Thomassen each had one RBI, with George’s coming off a solo homer.
Connell started on the mound, giving up one run, two hits and one walk through five innings. Miller closed it out, allowing one hit and no walks in two innings.
