OCONOMOWOC, Wis. – “Apes together strong.”
The “Planet of the Apes” quote fit the Lake Country Flying Monkeys perfectly as they rallied for another team win over the Cleburne Railroaders. The Flying Monkeys won Sunday’s Father’s Day game 11-6 over the Railroaders, securing a series win.
“We had a lot of guys contribute today and it was awesome to go out there and win a series against Cleburne,” Josh Altmann said. “The boys were awesome today.”
The Flying Monkeys rediscovered their offense after struggling Saturday night. Lake Country scored 11 runs on 13 hits. Altmann paced the Flying Monkey offense with three extra-base hits, three runs, and two RBIs. Altmann also had two solo home runs.
“You can’t deny the results but it feels really good,” Altmann said of his performance.
Another individual also put together a game of his own. Carson Maxwell continued his hot hitting and picked up two more hits. Maxwell also did damage on the bases, using his legs to create chaos. Maxwell stole two bases and scored a run, all en route to his first “top banana” performance of the season.
“I’m just trying to enjoy the moment and be ready to hit,” Maxwell said. “I’m just trying to have the most fun I can.”
For Lake Country, playing winning baseball has been fun. Taking four games from a first-place team has allowed players, fans, and the organization to recognize what this team is capable of.
“I said it at the start of the series, we played well in Sioux City and played well in Lincoln, and we certainly played well in this series,” Flying Monkeys manager Ken Huckaby said. “The team is starting to come together and starting to look really good.”
Players like Ray Zuberer III, Blake Tiberi, Demetrius Sims, Ryan Hernandez, John Swanda and Marek Chlup are big reasons for the Flying Monkeys’ recent success. Following a tough road trip last week, Lake Country needed a week like this.
“I told Tom (Kelenic) earlier this week and said, ‘I don’t know, I just feel like we are going to play up to the first place team, play to where we are supposed to be,’” Maxwell said.
Though the team is seeing positive results now, the confidence within the clubhouse hasn’t wavered.
“The morale is definitely in a positive light, but I wouldn’t say it has shifted (there),” Altmann said. “We’ve talked about it all year in the clubhouse that this team is ready to win and we are ready to keep performing.”
Following Sunday’s game, the Flying Monkeys melted away and the DockHounds returned.
Lake Country will travel to Fargo-Moorhead to take on the RedHawks at 7:02 p.m. Tuesday in Newman Outdoor Field.
By: Noah Douglas
