MIDDLETOWN — Will Aden wrote himself into Lake County’s record books not once but twice on Friday afternoon as he bashed his 10th and 11th home runs of the season — and the 18th and 19th of his three-year varsity career — in Middletown’s season-ending 12-2 baseball victory over the St. Helena Saints at Wes Martin Field in Middletown.
Middletown (10-4) and St. Helena (9-5) entered the league and season finale for both teams tied for second place in the NCL I standings, one game behind Fort Bragg (11-3), and needing a Fort Bragg loss to Clear Lake to secure a share of the league title. While that didn’t happen — Fort Bragg won 12-2 to clinch the outright championship — the Mustangs and Saints still had something to play for and before it was over St. Helena’s head coach had been ejected for arguing with a Middletown assistant coach.
The Saints weren’t happy with the conditions of Middletown’s pitching mound and Aden wasn’t happy about being intentionally walked in his third at-bat.
“It was pretty chippy,” Middletown head coach Jon Hoogendoorn said of comments being exchanged between players and coaches on both sides.
Aden had the last laugh on several counts. He went 3-for-3 in four plate appearances with two home runs and six RBIs overall while also pitching a five-inning complete game. He came into his final high school game with nine home runs on the season, which tied him with former Middletown star Chris Emberson for second place on Lake County’s list of single-season home run leaders, with Kelseyville’s Ray Silva first with 11 (in 2002). Aden also entered play tied with Emberson for the all-time county home run lead with 17.
Aden launched his 10th home run of the season and the county-record 18th of his career with a two-run shot to left field in the bottom of the first inning that tied the game at 2-2. He singled home another run in his next at-bat, drew an intentional walk in his third plate appearance, and cracked a three-run homer in his final high school at-bat during a four-run fifth inning that ended the game early because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Aden’s second home run, which was by far the more impressive of the two, according to Hoogendoorn, landed in the football bleachers in right-center field.
“If the wind hadn’t been blowing, he would have hit it onto the football field,” Hoogendoorn said.
That 11th home run ties him with Silva for the most in a single season and adds to his county-leading career total, now 19.
“You can’t replace that,” Hoogendoorn said of Aden, one of seven seniors Middletown will is losing to graduation. Another of those seniors, Tyler Crudo, hit five home runs this season.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Hoogendoorn, who said that while he’s thrilled about the accomplishments of Aden and his other seniors, he’s also sad that he’ll be losing players he’s been coaching for many years, up through the youth ranks and on summer traveling teams.
“It seems like I’ve been coaching some of these guys forever,” Hoogendoorn said. “I’m going to miss having them around.”
The Mustangs won’t have that power game again next season, but Hoogendoorn said he isn’t worried.
“I feel good about next year, but we’ll have to do it in a different way, maybe with more small ball,” Hoogendoorn said.
Middletown scored three times in the bottom of the second to open up a 5-2 lead. A three-run fourth made it 8-2 before Aden’s three-run homer in the fifth and a walk-off RBI single by Luke Hoogendoorn ended the game.
“It was fun,” Hoogendoorn said of a 2021 season during which the Cougars went 14-8 overall, including wins against Santa Rosa, Piner and Montgomery, all large Santa Rosa schools. They just missed against a fourth Santa Rosa school, Maria Carrillo, losing 1-0.
“As a coach you always want to win the league, but I’m absolutely happy with how we did,” he added.
