Does it get irritating? Hanson only smiled at that question but, then again, he had plenty to smile about Monday at Lynx Field.

The sophomore isn’t your normal bottom-of-the-order stick, one WCHS attempts to hide. Instead, the Lynx look at him as a second lead-off option, someone that can generate things once the lineup turns over.

“We’re solid one through nine, so the big thing being at the 9 spot is to get it fired up for the top,” Hanson said. “I get on base and we go.”

Hanson certainly lit a fire under the Lynx in their latest North Central Conference romp, a 10-0, 6-inning statement against Algona. His three-run home run to left field — his first varsity dinger — in the second inning opened the floodgate for the team’s 11th consecutive league victory, dating all the way back to the 2019 season.

Webster City’s CJ Hisler (4) races around third on his way to the plate on Monday. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“I was really happy with that one,” Hanson said. “I was sitting curveball and the first (pitch) was outside. The second one, I thought if (the fastball) is there I’ve got to go because I knew I wasn’t going to get many chances.”

Hanson deposited the inside fastball from Bulldog pitcher Cameren Rindone onto the parking lot, and he flexed as he reached his waiting teammates at the plate. It gave WCHS (7-1, 4-0 NCC) a 4-0 lead and fueled the offense.

And once all-state pitcher Tyler Olson gets a four-run lead, well, that’s pretty much lights out.

Olson twirled a complete-game four-hitter, as he lowered his ERA to a paltry 0.71. His six strikeouts pushed his Class 3A lead to 35 on the season, but he was impressed with his defense, which played flawless in a supporting role.

“I don’t think we’ve had that clean of a game since I’ve been pitching, so I was definitely impressed,” Olson said. “Making plays keeps me going on the mound.”

Beau Klaver gestures after an RBI double for Webster City against Algona on Tuesday. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

As he usually does, Olson feasted on the outside corner of the plate and took advantage of a wide strike zone. He opened the game with 18 consecutive strikes and needed just 71 pitches, 57 of which were strikes, to send Algona (5-4, 2-1 NCC) packing.

“It was definitely a pitcher’s zone,” Olson said. “If you put your glove 21⁄2 balls outside the strike zone, that’s where (WCHS catcher Devon Stoakes) had it, and it was a strike.”

Algona was unable to string multiple hits together in an inning and only twice had a base runner reach second.

Stoakes, CJ Hisler and Chase Rattenborg helped to key the WCHS offense with two hits each. Hisler drove in two runs and Rattenborg had one.

Olson, Ty McKinney and Beau Klaver all added one hit. Olson and Klaver had an RBI.

WCHS junior Devon Stoakes goes head-first into second base and beats the ball for a stolen base during the Lynx 10-0, 6-inning victory over NCC rival Algona on Monday. He went 2 for 3 in the game. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

McKinney gave the Lynx the only run it needed in the first inning when he led-off with a line-drive base hit down the third base line. He eventually scored on a throwing error.

Following Hanson’s homer, Klaver ripped an RBI double into the corner in left in the third to make it 5-0.

A Hisler RBI ground ball increased the cushion to 6-0 in the fifth, and two batters later Rattenborg lofted a double to deep center to plate another run.

Rindone, who entered the contest with an ERA under 2, went five innings on the bump for the Bulldogs. He was touched for seven hits and four earned runs.

Miles Goche took over in the sixth and recorded just one out before WCHS ended it via the 10-run rule. Consecutive singles by Stoakes and Olson pushed the cushion to 9-0, and Hisler provided the walk-off hit — a rope into left that scored his younger brother, Keegan Hisler, who was running for Stoakes.

Connor Hanson celebrates his first home run, a three-run shot, against Algona on Monday at Lynx Field. WCHS rolled to a 10-0 win. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Olson said it was the Lynx finest performance of the season and that wasn’t a coincidence.

“This game has been on our radar since the beginning of the season,” he said. “This was a big game and we lived off momentum.”

WCHS 10, Algona 0 (6 inn)

Monday at Webster City

Algona 000 000 — 0 4 4

WCHS 131 032 — 10 10 0

Cameren Rindone, Miles Goche (6) and Wyatt Streit. Tyler Olson and Devon Stoakes. W — Olson. L — Rindone. Multiple hits — WC: Stoakes, CJ Hisler, Chase Rattenborg. 2B — WC: Rattenborg, Beau Klaver. HR — WC: Connor Hanson. RBI — WC: Hanson (3), Hisler (2), Olson, Klaver, Rattenborg.