May 28th 2026 The Hamilton Marines battled throughout the evening but came up short against Lakewood Park in the opening round of IHSAA Sectional play Wednesday night at Fremont High School under a bright full sun sky. Lakewood Park struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Marines answered right back in the bottom half. Liam Ferrell came around to score from third base on an error during a pickoff attempt to even the score at 1-1. The Panthers added three more runs in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead, but once again Hamilton responded. Graysen Dilts and Spencer Bredemeyer both crossed home plate on passed balls as the Marines cut the deficit to 4-3. Lakewood Park pushed its advantage to 6-3 in the third inning before Hamilton answered again in the fourth, trimming the lead to 6-4 and keeping the game within reach heading into the later innings. The Panthers were able to break things open in the sixth and seventh innings, eventually extending the score to 22-5 before Hamilton plated one final run in the bottom of the seventh. Trenton Kintz delivered an RBI single to score Matthew Buffenn for the Marines’ final run of the season. Offensively for Hamilton, Liam Ferrell went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. Matthew Buffenn finished 1-for-1 with a run scored, while Trenton Kintz went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Cooper Leininger added a hit, Spencer Bredemeyer went 1-for-4 with a run scored, and Brendan Pfefferkorn drew three walks. Dalen Pfefferkorn and Larsen Dilts also reached base via walks. On the bases, Buffenn, DeWitt, and Bredemeyer each recorded stolen bases. Brendan Pfefferkorn gave the Marines a strong effort on the mound, pitching six innings while allowing just nine hits and recording three strikeouts. With the loss, the 2026 Hamilton Marines baseball season comes to a close. The Hamilton athletic administration would like to thank the players and coaching staff for their hard work, dedication, and exciting season. A special thank you goes out to lone senior Larsen Dilts for always showing up, competing hard, and giving everything he had for the Marines program.