For most batters, that red light would be flashing. But when you’re hitting over .800, that light is always green.

Stoakes, a freshman, fouled off what probably would have been ball four from Hampton-Dumont/CAL pitcher Avery Hanson. And Hanson’s next offering? See ya.

Stoakes sent a towering shot to left field that cleared the fence for a 3-run home run, her second of the season, to give WCHS the lead for good en rout to a 6-5 North Central Conference victory.

And Lynx head coach Jess Howard never hesitated to give Stoakes the sign to swing away.

Kelly Stoakes (right) high-fives head coach Jess Howard and almost runs into teammate Alayna Finucan (3) as she rounds third following her 3-run home run Wednesday evening. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“You know in a 3-0 count, that’s when the good pitch is coming and she’s got the go-ahead to be able to attack,” Howard said. “We want her hitting at her best and her best is whenever she gets her pitch.”

Through six games, every pitch has been a smorgasbord for Stoakes. Following a 4 for 4 performance that also included two infield singles and a double to straightaway center against HDC, Stoakes is now hitting .826 and slugging 1.348.

Among players in the state with at least 20 plate appearances, Stoakes (19 for 23) is the runaway leader. Central City’s Leah Weber (13 for 23) is the closest at .565. Only 12 players have that many at bats and are hitting .500 or above.

“It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” WCHS shortstop Taylor McKinney said of Stoakes, who had to immediately begin warming up to pitch the junior varsity game and was thus unavailable for comment following Wednesday’s win. “I hope I don’t jinx it.”

HDC (1-2, 0-1 NCC) out hit WCHS (4-2, 1-0 NCC) 12-7 and roughed up Lynx hurler Jenna Miller for four doubles, but the Bulldogs were unable to overcome the Stoakes offensive freight train and the defensive wizardry by the WCHS infield.

Webster City sophomore pitcher Jenna Miller works out of the circle in the fifth inning against Hampton-Dumont/CAL Wednesday evening in Hampton. Miller got out of a seventh-inning jam to preserve a 6-5 victory for the Lynx. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Lynx second baseman Atlanta Hopp put up several highlights, including a 4-3 double play in the fourth inning. She made a lunging catch on a floater headed towards right field off the bat of Calista Polk and then fired to first to double off Faith Grover. In the seventh, McKinney and Hopp worked the 6-4-3 double play that turned out to be crucial.

“That was huge,” McKinney said. “Before we even started the inning I told Atlanta that one of us was going to get a big play and we were going to celebrate, and we ended up both doing it. We really needed it at the time.”

Trailing 6-4 with two outs and nobody aboard following the double play, HDC went back to work. Briana Grover walked and then raced around to score on a Tara Krull double that one-hopped into the fence in left-center. Representing the tying run, Krull stood on third when Miller got Faith Grover to bounce out to Hopp to end the game.

“That was nerve wracking because we thought we were going to have to go to extra innings,” WCHS sophomore third baseman Leah Kasch, who laced a sixth-inning RBI single for an insurance run, said. “It’s just good to get one conference win under our belts.”

Four of the runs allowed by Miller were earned, but the sophomore right-hander never wavered, a good sign moving forward, Howard said.

WCHS catcher Kaitlynn Seeley awaits the relay throw as HDC’s Avery Hanson slides around to score during Wednesday’s NCC game. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“Her maturity from last year to this year and staying composed in those situations is huge,” Howard said of Miller. “She trusts her defense to make the plays for her.”

Zoey Woodle and Alayna Finucan added infield singles for WCHS.

Stoakes’ singles in the first and third innings didn’t travel more than 60 feet combined. She beat out a slow roller to short in the opening inning and then connected on what amounted to no more than a swinging bunt in the third that wound up producing the team’s first run of the game.

“She gave us a different side of her (on Wednesday),” Howard said of Stoakes. “She had some grit and gutted out those two infield hits and she showed that she’s not just a one-trick pony. She’s got a lot in her arsenal.”

Kasch is hopeful her teammate’s hot streak continues.

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“It’s just amazing. She’s a freshman doing this,” Kasch said. “You don’t really think about it during the games, but it’s incredible.”

Hanson had her own 4 for 4 performance at the plate for the Bulldogs. Krull and Paige Springer had two hits each.

WCHS will return home this evening to take on Algona at 7:30 p.m.

Webster City 6, H-D/CAL 5

Wednesday at Hampton

Web City 001 401 0 — 6 7 2

H-D/CAL 120 010 1 — 5 12 1

Jenna Miller and Kaitlynn Seeley. Avery Hanson and Paige Springer. WP — Miller. LP — Hanson. Multiple hits — WC: Kelly Stoakes (4); HDC: Hanson (4), Springer, Tara Krull. 2B — WC: Stoakes; HDC: Hanson, Krull, Courtney Miller, Kylie Whipple. HR — WC: Stoakes. RBI — WC: Stoakes (3), Miller, Leah Kasch; HDC: Hanson, Miller, Krull, Whipple, Triston Rew.