JACKSON – Coaches at the high school level preach over and over “Just put the ball in play and good things can happen.” The Kettle Moraine Lutheran baseball team followed that to a “T” Tuesday night.

The Chargers mustered just five hits, but took advantage of five St. Mary’s Springs errors to earn a 6-1 victory in both schools’ Wisconsin Flyway Conference opener at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School.

“On a cold day, the bats aren’t going sometimes and you have to credit our defense for the win,” KML coach Darrell Washburn said. “We didn’t give them any runs and that was the key today.

“We know they are a good hitting team and the defense made all the plays.”

The errors were the type of things Springs, a WIAA Division 3 state qualifier from last year didn’t see much if at all during their run toward Appleton.

“Last year, those were the things we prevented,” Springs coach Mike St. Mary said. “Today was just the opposite. Hopefully that will come as we get outside more. We have to get better.”

Springs (1-1), ranked third in the preseason Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Division 3 poll, couldn’t string hits together on KML senior ace Taylor Koth until the fifth inning.

The Ledgers plated a lone run in the inning, but really brought it in the seventh when they loaded the bases with one out on three hits, two of which didn’t leave the infield.

Koth closed the door with a strikeout and a groundout to get KML (2-0) the victory.

“I was kind of surprised actually,” said Koth after throwing 102 pitches in the win. “My defense played great behind me.

“That’s a team that was ranked No. 3 in the state, so we made this a big game and that we had to have it.”

It capped a solid first start of the season for Koth who struck out eight without issuing a free pass.

“Taylor was in control the whole game,” Washburn said. “The only inning they threatened was the last one and it wasn’t because they were ripping line drives all over. It was just a few infield singles and he came right back, got the next guys out. He pitched a heck of a game.”

Notes: Koth also scored two runs and stole three bases offensively. … The Ledgers’ Brian Fellers was the only batter to have multiple hits, going 2 for 4 on the day. … Springs’ Eric Martin and Travis Geidel were the only players to get RBIs as the other six runs came on errors.

ST. MARY’S SPRINGS…………...……000 010 0—1 9 5

KETTLE MORAINE LUTHERAN……201 210 x—6 4 1

Pitching: SMS—Mike Prado (L) 3.2 IP, 6 K, 2 BB, 2 H, 6 R, ER; Ryan Thiesen 2.1 IP, 5 K, 2 H; KML—Taylor Koth (W, 1-0) 7 IP, 8 K, 9 H, ER. Leading hitters: SMS—Brian Fellers 2-4; Eric Martin 1-2, RBI, sac fly; KML—Taylor Koth 1-3, 2 R, 3 SB; Travis Geidel 1-3, RBI.