The Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) baseball team took a one-game lead in the Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) with a 6-0 win over D.C. Everest at Bukolt Park Tuesday, May 15.

The Panthers (14-2, 8-1) scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead on the way to the win, while junior pitchers JD Schultz and Dylan Trigg combined on a three-hit shutout.

“Great pitching by both teams, but we got some timely hitting,” said SPASH baseball head coach Kraig Terpstra.

SPASH and Everest entered the game tied atop the WVC standings at 7-1, with Wausau West right behind at 6-2.

The Panthers struck first in the bottom of the first inning, as junior Jack Kelly had a two-run double and senior Sam Lawrynk followed with a RBI double to highlight a four-run rally that gave the team a 4-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Schultz struck out three, walked three and allowed two hits in five shutout innings, before Trigg came on to pitch in the top of the sixth.

The Panthers added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to increase their lead to 6-0, while Trigg closed out Everest in the top of seventh to seal the 6-0 win.

Schultz earned the win, while Trigg struck out one, walked three and allowed one hit over the final two innings to combine on the three-hit shutout.

Meanwhile, Kelly went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, junior Brett Ehr finished with a double and two RBI, and Lawrynk and senior Cole Wright each had a double to lead the SPASH offense, which finished with nine hits in the win.

“Scoring four in the first inning was a great way to start a big game,” said Terpstra. “I’m really proud of how our players competed today.”

In other WVC games Tuesday, Wausau West won 21-10 over Marshfield, and Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln beat Merrill 11-4.

That left SPASH (8-1) with a one-game lead in the conference over Everest (7-2) and Wausau West (7-2), with Rapids (5-3) two games back with three games to play in the conference schedule.

The Panthers are set to play at D.C. Everest at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 17, and then will play at Wausau East (1-6) at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, before they host Wausau East in the conference finale at Memorial Park in Plover at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 24.