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DENNIS SEMRAU

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Even in the age of aluminum bats, it is rare for a high school team to have every player in its starting lineup hit at least one home run during the same season. 



But it only took Waunakee 15 games to accomplish that feat this spring.



When Luke Pandow homered for Waunakee in a 6-5 victory over Beaver Dam on May 1, he was the ninth and final player in the Warriors regular starting line-up to homer this season.



"It s kind of unusual," admitted Waunakee coach Spencer Lee, who is his 14^th season in charge of the program. "We ve never had it happen before. I m sure there are some teams who have but it s not something that happens all the time."



Following is the regular line-up for Waunakee.

C – Luke Pandow

1B – Derek Straus

2B/P – Derek Lyght

SS – Matt Follen

3B/2B/P – Riley Aiello

3B/P/DH – Jacob Soper

LF – Riley Martinez

CF/P – Cole Cefalu

RF – Max Chamberlin



Cefalu and Follen lead Waunakee with four home runs, while Martinez is next with three. Aiello and Lyght each have hit two, while Pandow, Straus, Soper and Chamberlin have one each.



Waunakee (16-3 overall, 8-1 Northern Badger) had hit 19 home runs this season before hosting a double-header on Saturday against La Crosse Logan and Onalaska.



The Warriors didn t hit a home run en route to a 7-0 victory over Logan in the first game.



But Waunakee continued its power-hitting ways in the second game when Riley Martinez blasted a three-run walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning for an 8-7 victory over Onalaska.



"In 14 years that s the second one we ve had," Lee said of the walk-off homer.



Lee said the Warriors trailed 7-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth before rallying for three runs to set the stage for the game-winning blow.



Lyght reached on a fielder s choice and Pandow walked in the seventh to set the stage for Martinez, who connected on a 2-1 pitch. 



 "We made it respectable in the sixth inning and then got two runners on base in the seventh and Riley absolutely crushed it," Lee said of the game-winning blast.



Aiello, Cefalu and Martinez all have more than 20 RBI apiece this season to lead a balanced attack. Lyght and Connor Hurst anchor the pitching staff.



Waunakee won the Northern Badger title two years ago and tied for second last season. The Warriors have a two-game lead over DeForest (6-3) with three conference games to play.



On deck for the Warriors are key games next week at Sauk Prairie on Tuesday and at home against DeForest on Friday. 



 "Waunakee and Sauk have a pretty good rivalry so the records don t really matter," Lee said. "DeForest is a big rival and they beat us the first time so we have some extra incentive.



"We re close (to a title) but we haven t earned anything yet."