WEBSTER CITY — Go ahead and call Humboldt the Webster City Baseball Whisperer.

That’s what the Wildcats have been for the better part of two seasons anyway.

Undefeated in the North Central Conference when it stepped onto the diamond Wednesday evening, WCHS fell behind early and never recovered in a 6-1 loss to Humboldt.

It was Humboldt’s fourth consecutive victory over its rival, and it also sliced the Lynx league lead to one game.

Playing for the third time in as many nights, WCHS head coach Adison Kehoe admitted his team played sluggish, but in the same breath said that was no excuse.

“I will give them a little bit of leeway, but at the same time we have to grow into our shoes a little bit because we have a bull’s-eye on our backs,” he said. “We’re still the team everyone wants to beat and we have to be ready for that.”

Humboldt (13-8, 6-2 NCC) scored two runs in the second and third innings to build a 4-0 cushion, and added two more in the seventh. WCHS (13-7, 7-1 NCC) avoided the shutout in the last half of the seventh on an RBI double down the left-field line by Tyler Olson that brought Ty McKinney to the dish. McKinney was aboard with his second hit of the contest, an infield single.

The Wildcats handed Olson his first loss of the season on the mound. They touched him for eight hits over six innings, but just one of the four runs he gave up was earned. WCHS made three errors behind its sophomore right-hander, who struck out six.

Hudson Gargano and Michael Brightly both went 2 for 4 for Humboldt.

WCHS laced eight hits, including additional doubles by Beau Klaver and Sean Carver. Dylan Steen went 2 for 3, but Kehoe said his team didn’t take advantage of its chances.

“One team capitalized on opportunities and one team didn’t, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “We had four innings where we had missed opportunities offensively.”

WCHS will take a short rest before heading to Algona to tangle with Garrigan Saturday evening. The Lynx will travel to Fort Dodge to face St. Edmond on Monday.

Humboldt 6, Webster City 1

Wednesday at Webster City

Humb 022 000 2 — 6 9 0

Web City 000 000 1 — 1 8 3

Jacob Thurm and Colby Clarken. Tyler Olson, Beau Klaver (6) and Devon Stoakes. W — Thurm. L — T. Olson. Multiple hits — HUM: Hudson Gargano, Michael Brightly; WC: Dylan Steen, Ty McKinney. 2B — HUM: Brightly, Owen Newton; WC: T. Olson, Klaver, Sean Carver. RBI — HUM: Gargano, Thurm, Brightly; WC: T. Olson.