Kenosha, Wis. – Having earned a 3-2 victory yesterday, the Kingfish are poised to complete a series sweep of the Green Bay Bullfrogs tonight. First pitch for the affair is slated for 7:05pm at Joannes Stadium. Finding themselves just 1.5 games back of playoff position with three to go, Kenosha sends trusty right-hander Rex Morrow to the hill.
Morrow has put together an impressive 2014 campaign, evidenced by a 2-0 record and 3.45 ERA. His ERA against Green Bay this season is a lowly 1.93. Today he will look to get ahead in the count early and rely on the solid defense behind him. Coming to his aid will be a stealthy Kenosha bullpen, led by P.J. Schuster and Brett Shimanovsky. Schuster picked up a clutch nine-out save last night, striking out six and yielding no hits or runs. He now ranks sixth in the NWL in saves. Shimanovsky has posted a 3.00 ERA and provides the Kingfish with a reliable lefty late in games. Having struck out 22 batters in 24 innings, he has shown the ability to fan opposing hitters in big situations.
Yesterday’s contest was a barn-burner in which Kingfish CF Taylor Douglas played the role of hero. The Bullfrogs entered the 7th frame with a 2-0 lead, but Kenosha refused to quit. After two quick outs it looked as though Green Bay would carry a shutout to the eighth. But C CJ Saylor and 3B Alex Borglin reached in consecutive at-bats, bringing the aforementioned Douglas to the plate. The rangy centerfielder slammed a 2-1 offering over the fence to put the Kingfish ahead for good. Three dominant innings in relief from Schuster sealed the final score at 3-2.
The win keeps Kenosha in the thick of the playoff race, now 1.5 games back of the Wisconsin Woodchucks for a postseason slot. The Woodchucks take on the Duluth Huskies at 6:35pm tonight. A victory for the Kingfish this evening guarantees they stay alive going into the final series of the year. Battle Creek comes to historic Simmons Field on Saturday (8/9) and Sunday (8/10) to take on King Elvis’ crew. Though tickets for the series do remain, both games are currently near sellouts.
