Menominee edges Clintonville 17-16 in Keshena slugfest

Keshena got the kind of summer game people remember. Menominee edged Clintonville 17-16 on June 7 in a Badger Amateur Baseball Association East Division game that turned into a full-scale offensive shootout, with 33 combined runs forcing both clubs to trade swings until the final outs. Pete O’Kimosh earned the win on the mound for Menominee, while Andy Lederer was charged with the loss for Clintonville.

Menominee did enough at the plate to stay in front, and the box score showed how balanced the attack was. Austin Peters, Mitchell Vande Walle and Quinn Gauthier each finished with three hits for Menominee, giving the home side steady production across the lineup. Clintonville answered repeatedly, and the visitors had the biggest single blow of the afternoon when Brock Smejkal launched a grand slam. Austin Hoffman also collected three hits for Clintonville, a sign that the game was dangerous from start to finish for both defenses.

For Menominee, the win was the kind that can matter well beyond one night in Keshena. In a league where summer baseball doubles as a local gathering point, a 17-16 result gives fans a game to talk about and gives the club a reminder that it can win even when the runs pile up fast. The result also kept Menominee moving through a packed June schedule, with another stretch of matchups on the horizon, including a home game against Caroline on June 14 at 1:30 p.m. That next date gives the team a quick chance to build on a victory that was as tense as it was entertaining.