Maddux fires no hitter

April 17, 2025

By Tony Adams

The Belton Journal

Class 5A No. 17 Lake Belton Broncos finished its District 16-5A week against Waco on Friday at Veterans Park No. 1 at the Waco ISD Complex.

Maverik Maddux retired all 16 batters that he faced on strikes, having thrown 51 strikes on 63 pitches. Cooper Mees and Cole Mikulas each contributed two-run triples as part of a nine-run second inning as the Broncos cruised to a 12-0, five-inning win over the Lions.

After the Broncos were held off the scoreboard in the first, Maddux began his mastery of the Waco High lineup. He struck out the first two batters before facing Chance Rhynes. Maddux got Rhynes swinging but ended up wide of catcher Braxtan Cope. Rhynes was safe at first base. He would be stranded at the bag, as Zay Johnson struck out to end the inning.

Mikulas scored on a passed ball to open the Broncos’ scoring in the top of the second. RJ Hunt’s single scored Ty Green. The Broncos pulled off a doublesteal, with Cameron Bartz having stolen second and Hunt stole home. Mees’ triple scored Bartz and Rohde Smith, Mikulas’ triple scored Mees and Samuel Matous, Green’s single pushed across Mikulas, and Brent Thomson reached on an error that scored Green to give the Broncos a 9-0 lead.

Logan Winkler, elevated from JV Silver before the game, singled home Smith in the third. Andrew Ramos' ground out scored Winkler to increase the Broncos lead to 11-10.

Tate Lisenbe's ground out in the top of the fifth scored Winkler to cap the scoring.

Eight different Broncos had hits with Mikulas having led the way with three. Mikulas, Green and Smith each scored twice.

“It was a dominant game by Maverik tonight,” Lake Belton head coach Chris Peacock said. “The kids we elevated from JV Silver got to play and contributed. A very good win.”

Broncos battle from behind, upends No. 20 Rouse, 5-4

Lake Belton took on the Leander Rouse Raiders in non-district action on Saturday afternoon at Bronco Park.

Logan Winkler’s home run to center field tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, and RJ Hunt’s single to score Cole Mikulas for the go-ahead run in Lake’s 5-4 win over the Raiders.

Cameron Bartz started the scoring in the bottom of the first with a solo homer over the left field fence.

Rouse scored twice in the second and once in the third to take a 3-1 lead.

Cooper Mees singled home Bartz in the bottom of the third to pull the Broncos to within one. Mees grounded out in the fifth inning to score Bryce Davis to tie the game 3-3.

Rouse took the lead with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth. Winkler's leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning was followed with a one out single from Hunt that scored Mikulas to put the Broncos up 5-4.

Kellen Scarborough came on in relief of Ely Vaughan and struck out the side for the save and clinched the Broncos its fourth win against a ranked opponent this season (Rouse, Round Rock, Austin Westlake, Lake Travis). They are 4-4-1 against ranked teams.

Bartz and Braxtan Cope each had two hits in Lake’s seven-hit attack.

Cope, Lisenbe, Vaughan and Scarborough combined for seven innings pitched, allowed four runs on four hits, nine strikeouts, four walks, four hit batters, and struck out nine.

Lake outlasts Chaparral, 5-0

The Broncos began their District 16-5A week with the Chaparral Bobcats Tuesday at Bronco Park.

Cameron Bartz had three of Lake’s seven hits, and Cooper Mees, Rohde Smith, and RJ Hun each drove in runs in support of Brandon Holley’s five-hit shutout over the Bobcats, 5-0.

Smith reached on an error in the bottom of the first to score Bryce Davis to put the Broncos on the board. Mees grounded into a double play with Bartz having scored to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead.

Mees’ double in the bottom of the fifth inning brought in Davis. The Broncos picked up insurance in the bottom of the sixth. Hunt’s safety squeeze single scored Braxtan Cope and Cole Mikulas scored a wild pitch to increase Lake’s lead to five runs.

Rene Pagan collected three of the Bobcats five runs against Holley, who struck out seven and walked none in the win.

 No. 10 Lake Belton (18-4-2, 7-0 District 16-5A) have a three game lead over the second place traffic jam between the Bobcats, University Trojans, and Belton Tigers. The Broncos and Bobcats will finish the series on Thursday at Chaparral High School.