May 18, 2026 – West Bend, Wi – The weather did its best to make Sunday miserable as temperatures dropped to the upper 50s by first pitch, accompanied by a light, steady rain throughout the afternoon at Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field. Nobody, however, told the West Bend Spirits. Powered by Evan Becker’s patient approach at the plate, a seven run sixth inning, and a complete game gem from starter Easton Oliver, the Spirits steamrolled the Brookfield Blue Sox 13-3 in a Land O’ Lakes Baseball League Suburban Division contest.
The synthetic infield at Kuss Field was the early MVP through the drizzle, keeping the game moving and the Spirits locked in.
“The guys were focused on getting back on track after last week’s loss,” said Spirits manager Willie Mueller. “We had some good laughs pregame about playing conditions before fields like this existed. There were some shocked faces. They’re spoiled with what they play on today.”
Brookfield drew first blood. In the top of the first, Harrison Phillips launched a two run home run to left field off the U.S. Army flag pole, scoring Isaac Schmidt and giving the Blue Sox an early 2-0 lead. Phillips finished 1 for 2 with two RBI, but the advantage was short-lived.
West Bend answered in the second. Quinn Zills dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt, forcing pitcher Nolan Fehrman into a fielder’s choice throw to third that sailed high and wide and let a run score. Brandon Niedfeldt grounded out to plate another. Then Luke Heinkel doubled off the right field fence to score two more, and just like that the Spirits led 5-2.
The dam broke in the sixth. Niedfeldt singled to score one. Becker lined a single through the right side to plate two more. Colyn Lessila crushed a two run double to left, pushing the lead into double digits. Two more scored on wild pitches and walks.
Seven runs in total for the Spirits in the sixth. While the offense generated the headlines, Oliver was the quiet engine behind the win. The West Bend starter went the full seven innings, allowing just three hits and three earned runs while walking three and striking out seven.
He faced 28 batters and threw 97 pitches, 63 for strikes, a workmanlike performance that gave the bullpen a full afternoon off. Fehrman, tagged with the loss, labored through just two innings, allowing five runs before being replaced. Four relievers followed and fared no better, combining to surrender eight more.
Mueller invoked the name of West Bend Baseball Association Wall of Famer Adam Rohlinger when praising Becker’s plate discipline, high praise in this community. Becker finished with three walks and three stolen bases, setting the tone all afternoon.
The Spirits drew 10 walks as a team and swiped six bases, turning the rainy Sunday into a track meet. Caleb Horvath, Hunter Herbst, and Zills each added a stolen base of their own.
“If you’re going to be patient and wait for your pitch you better be able to recognize balls and strikes. Nobody was better at that than my nephew Adam (Rohlinger),” said Mueller. “Evan is typically very attack first. Today, we put him into the leadoff spot, and he had some really great at bats.”
Lessila led the hit parade with two hits in four at bats, while Heinkel and Niedfeldt contributed key knocks. Brookfield managed just three hits, a Phillips home run, a Jackson Sadowski double, and a solo shot from Nate Wolf in the seventh to temporarily extend the game for the Blue Sox.
Sunday’s roster carried several notable storylines. Camden Hoier returned to the lineup after after finishing his collegiate season at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where he ranked among the top batting averages in NCAA Division III nationally. He went 1 for 5 with two RBI in his first outing back, modest numbers, but his presence adds a dimension the Spirits missed during the school year.
Zills, also back after playing with the MSOE Raiders, wasted no time making his return count with two walks, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Perhaps the most quietly meaningful debut belonged to Ben Hesse, the 2025 West Bend Baseball Association Scholarship Award winner.
Hesse, who earned the distinction recognizing outstanding student-athlete baseball players from the West Bend East and West High School baseball community, stepped into the lineup for the first time, drew a walk, scored a run, and showed composure well beyond a first appearance. Playing in cold, wet conditions with a wood bat for the first time can rattle anyone. Hesse didn’t look rattled. Hesse joined Hoier and Zills as former recipients currently on the Spirits roster.
Up Next: The Spirits (1-1) play Thursday at 7 p.m. in an unusual setup, serving as the away team against the Kewaskum A’s at their home field, Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field, following the Kettle Moraine Lutheran at West Bend West varsity high school game.
