Spencer, Ia (Northwest Iowa Now) – It was a big night at the Spencer High School Ballfields with a couple of Lakes Conference Championships hanging in the balance.

We brought you the Baseball game on News Radio 102.5 and AM 1240 KICD. Spencer had taken the first meeting with Storm Lake on June 22nd by a score of 4-2, giving them a 1 game lead over the Tornadoes in the Lakes Conference standings. This gave the Tigers a chance to claim the 2026 and Final Lakes Conference Championship with a win against Storm Lake on Thursday evening in Spencer.

It was a brilliant pitcher’s dual as Spencer brought forth Aaden Techen and Brock Edwards hit the hill for Storm Lake.

The two teams truly matched each other stride for stride through the first three innings. Spencer was able to get 3 hits to Storm Lakes 2. The Tigers stranded 5 runners to the Tornadoes 2. Storm Lake brought up 12 batters while Spencer had 14 plate appearances over that time.

It looked like Storm Lake was going to break our scoreless tie in the top of the 4th. With Edward’s courtesy runner Chase Mathistad on 2nd and two outs, Azael Garcia singled into shallow left field.

Techen got Drew Hoegrefe to ground out to Spencer 2nd basemen George Lawson, and the score remained tied at 0 going in to the bottom of the 4th.

Each team remained scoreless till the top of the 7th inning. With his pitch count closing in on the game-limit, Techen got Hogrefe to ground out to 3rd. The 8 and 9 batters came through in a big way for Storm Lake though, as both Rylan Richardson and Cael Phelps singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd with only one out for David Gonzalez-Santos, the most dangerous bat in the Tornado order. Techen would strike out Gonzalez-Santos on a full-count to get his second out.

Bobby Boeckman would walk on the following at bat though, bringing Techen’s pitch count to just 5 shy of the limit. Techen would be pulled for Shelton Bendlin, and Trey Boettcher jumped on the first pitch with two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd.

Brock Edwards singled in the following at bat to drive in Boeckman, increasing the Storm Lake lead to 3 going into the bottom of the 7th.

With one more chance to get some runs on the board, Spencer loaded up the bases for their biggest swinging threat Larson Vulk with two outs.

Brock Edwards wrapped up a great outing for Storm Lake, getting the win in 7 innings of work, allowing 3 hits, 0 runs, walking 4 and striking out 11. Aaden Techen was great for Spencer, but will take the loss in 6.2 innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 Runs, all earned, and striking out 7.

Spencer falls to 12-7 this year while Storm Lake is 11-8. The two teams tie for the final Lakes Conference Baseball Championship at 6-2 in the League. Up next for Storm Lake is a home contest against Le Mars while Spencer goes to Carroll on Friday for the Knight Tournament, hosted by Kueumper Catholic at Merchants Park.

Across the way, the Spencer Softball team picked up a 1-0 win against Storm Lake. The Tiger win tied them with the Tornadoes at the top of the Lakes Conference standings, each 7-1, meaning Storm Lake and Spencer split both the Baseball and Softball Lakes Conference Championships in 2026, the final year of the league’s existence before it is absorbed by the Siouxland in the 2026-2027 school year.