WEBSTER CITY – Already the owners of a victory over top-ranked (Class 2A) and reigning state champion Clear Lake, the Humboldt baseball team has to feel like it can beat anyone at this early point in the season.

At the other end of the spectrum is Webster City, a club stuck in a five-game funk that is still trying to identify its strengths.

One is up, the other is down. And there was no reversal of roles when the North Central Conference rivals met at Lynx Field Wednesday night.

Clubbing 13 hits and taking advantage of 12 walks, Humboldt (6-4, 3-0 NCC) scored at will and throttled WCHS, 19-6, in a game that ended after five innings.

The Wildcats took control early on by pushing six runs across in the first inning. It was 9-4 in their favor when they stayed patient and then found the gaps in a marathon eight-run fourth frame.

“Right now this is just a team that is struggling to overcome mistakes,” WCHS head coach Mark Fisher said. “I think this team, while young, has a lot of potential, but mentally we have to get over some hurdles first.”

Chris Witzke went 2 for 2, scored two runs and drove in five more at the top of Humboldt’s lineup. Joey Busse plated four runs, while Devon Clark and Brady Shelgren had two RBI each.

Shelgren had the Wildcats only extra base hit, a double, but the visitors were more than willing to be patient with the erratic Lynx pitching staff. Four WCHS hurlers combined to throw 175 pitches, only 91 of which were strikes.

Freshman Dylan Steen accepted the loss on the mound for WCHS (2-7, 1-3 NCC). The Lynx also committed three errors that led to eight unearned runs.

Shelgren went the distance to collect the victory. He allowed just five hits and fanned eight.

Steen and Romel Martinez both went 1 for 3 with a RBI. Max Hackbarth drove in a run with a single; Bryan Ferrell and Riley Mishler also collected a RBI.

Cole Reigelsberger roped a double for the Lynx. Jordan Tanner opened the bottom of the fourth with a liner down the left-field line that resulted in a triple. He scored for the second time a few pitches later.