Kenosha, Wis. – The Kingfish, winners of eight of their last nine, play two today against the rival Lakeshore Chinooks. The home-and-home set will feature a 12:05pm start at historic Simmons Field and a 7:05pm start at Lakeshore’s Kapco Park. In an effort to claim victory manager Duffy Dyer sends a pair of his top arms to the hill. Right-handers Rico Garcia and Dillon Mazzoccoli have posted sub-3.00 ERA’s on the season and have shown a knack for striking out the opposition.
The key to the Kenosha hot streak has been a combination of great performances from both the offense and defense. In the past nine games the Kingfish have outscored the opposition by a combined score of 67-31. Leading the charge for King Elvis’s crew has been 2B Chris Godinez in addition to outfielders Buddy Reed and Pat Porter. Godinez has become the club’s most consistent hitter, evidenced by his NWL-leading .389 batting average. Porter and his NWL-leading 56 RBI has been just as difficult for opposing teams to handle. Last but not least is the scorching hot Reed, who has recorded five hits and three runs in the past two outings.
Yesterday the Kingfish completed a sweep of the La Crosse Loggers by a score of 6-4. The game lasted just five innings due to rain, but Kenosha was not phased. Final inning heroics were provided by multiple hitters in the Kingfish lineup, including; Buddy Reed, Alex Dunlap, Kyle Brooks, and Michael Adkins. The team was down 4-3 with two outs, nobody on base, and rain just minutes away. Reed and Dunlap kept Kenosha alive by reaching base on two-strike offerings. Brooks then turned another two-strike delivery down the right field line, doubling in Reed and Dunlap. Adkins then put one in play to score Brooks and bring the count to 6-4 just before the rain came down.
Today will bring a new challenge against the South Division leading Chinooks. The Kingfish sit just one game back of a playoff position with 13 left to play, making every game vital. Following today’s doubleheader, the team will hit the road to take on the Madison Mallards and Wisconsin Woodchucks. Kenosha will return to historic Simmons Field on Monday, August 4th for a matchup with the Green Bay Bullfrogs.
