Nine Runs Over Two Innings Pushes Kingfish to Victory
Tim Hackett, Broadcasting Intern
Kenosha, Wis.- Friday night’s game was a closely-contested pitchers’ duel for about four-and-a-half innings. But the Kenosha Kingfish (16-9) erupted for nine runs on nine hits in the middle innings to pull out of reach in a 10-4 victory over the Wisconsin Woodchucks (9-15).
The Woodchucks struck first in the third when Milton Rivera reached on an error and scored on a groundout by Yeager Taylor. Starters Gordon Cardenas and Colan Treml kept things close for a while, but the Kingfish blew things open in the fifth.
Cardenas got the first two outs of the frame, but then the Kingfish bats exploded in a big way. Jesse Wilkening kicked off a string of four straight extra-base hits, six hits overall, for Kenosha with a double, and the Kingfish jumped out to a 4-1 lead.
They quickly got back to work against Armando Gonzalez in the sixth. With one out, Anthony Warneke kicked off a stretch of four straight hits in a five-run inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Chris Botsoe and a two-run home run by Derek Bangert.
Treml was ultra-efficient through six innings, but the Woodchucks finally got to him in the seventh. Dalton Reed kickstarted the frame by launching his second homer of the season, and Brady Lindsly followed with the second Wisconsin triple in as many days. Trey Dawson, making his season debut, singled Lindsly home and eventually scored himself on another Taylor RBI groundout.
The Chucks had gotten to within 9-4, but they would not get closer. Kenosha tacked on one more in the eighth on a Jack Yalowitz sac fly and Justin Hasek pitched three lights-out innings of relief to tally his second save of the year and ice the 10-4 win.
This three-game Wisconsin road trip continues Saturday night with a rematch with Kenosha. DJ Morland will start for the Chucks, opposed by Kenosha’s Quinn Snarskis, with first pitch at 6:35 PM.
Tickets are on sale to all Wisconsin Woodchucks home games and the 2017 Northwoods League Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, presented by Ascension. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 715.845.5055 or by stopping by the Woodchucks front office during normal business hours.
