They've taken their best shots, but Waukesha teams haven't quite been able to sneak past the Kettle Moraine baseball team this season.
Heading into a rainy Tuesday, the Lasers led the Classic 8 Conference standings at 14-0, and a staggering eight of those games — more than half — have been victories by a single run.
On Monday, Waukesha North took its swing in a 4-3 loss. the Northstars mounted a rally in the seventh, scoring twice and stranding runners at second and third.
In the final frame, Anthony Wesley led off with a single, stole second and scored on an error. Javier Jimenez walked and eventually came around on a wild pitch. Cal Zimborski and Nick Dorshorst also reached base with back-to-back singles, then advanced a base on a wild pitch. But a popup on the infield and a strikeout ended the threat and the game.
The Northstars (1-13 in league play, 2-15 overall) recorded their lone league win against Arrowhead on June 13, 10-7, rallying back from a 6-0 deficit after the first inning and actually taking a 7-5 lead after two.
Waukesha Catholic Memorial endured its own close call against the Lasers on June 18, though early signs were unfavorable when the Lasers scored nine times in the bottom of the first to take a 9-2 lead. The final score: 9-8.
CMH scored five times in the fourth, then almost scored more when Justin Dentici's potential two-run base hit landed just foul. The Crusaders added another run in the sixth, though Jake Shomin was stranded at third after his RBI triple to score Zach Fridl.
All the while, CMH pitchers prevented KM from adding on. But a 1-2-3 seventh kept the Crusaders shy of an upset.
The Crusaders stand at 7-8 overall and 5-7 in league play following another nail-biter, a 1-0 loss to second-place Muskego on June 20.
Waukesha West, at 9-6 in league play and 11-9 overall, sits in third place in the standings and has perhaps the best shot to give KM a loss, with back-to-back games at West scheduled for June 25 and 26. The team scored an 8-6 win over Mukwonago on June 24, marking the Wolverines' fourth win in five conference games and eighth in 11 after a sluggish start.