BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The Kenosha Kingfish (16-15) tallied 11 hits against the Battle Creek Bombers (9-22) and won 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at C.O. Brown Stadium.
Kenosha jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
Connor Mang (New Mexico) led off the frame with a single for the Kingfish and with one out Ethan Owens (Drury) followed suit. R.J. Pearson (Central Arkansas) singled to centerfield to score Mang and Kenosha led 1-0.
Owens and Pearson scored on a Bombers error at shortstop by Anthony Catalano (North Iowa Area CC) and put Kenosha up 3-0.
The Bombers responded with two runs on four hits in the second off Kenosha’s starter Riley Wikel (MSOE).
Zach Nogalski (UW – Milwaukee) put the Kingfish up 4-2 in the fifth on an RBI ground out to shortstop that scored Brendan Hueth (Saint Joseph’s).
Wikel left the game in the fifth after recording two outs. He started the frame allowing a leadoff home run to Bombers first baseman John Malcom (Vanderbilt) and finished the day striking out four in 4 2/3 innings pitched while allowing three runs on eight hits.
Nate Seprosky (Rhode Island) came in for Wikel and recorded the final out of the fifth to keep the Kingfish on top 4-3.
Tanner Fallon (Loras College) was the next man out of the pen for Kenosha. He entered the game in the sixth and gave the Kingfish 2 1/3 shutout innings with a strikeout.
With the bases loaded in the top of the eighth Pearson drove in Mang on a fielder’s choice and extended Kenosha’s lead 5-3. On the second fielder’s choice of the inning Jack Thelen (UW – Milwaukee) drove in an insurance run to score Luke Stephenson (Xavier) and put Kenosha up 6-3.
Jacob DeLabio (Carthage College) entered the game in the eighth with one out and finished the day pitching 1 2/3 shutout innings on three strikeouts.
Seprosky earned the win for the Kingfish while Fallon got the hold and DeLabio got the save.
Bombers starter Sawyer Allen (Hillsdale College) took the loss pitching two innings. He allowed three runs on four hits.
The Kingfish return home to Simmons Field on Monday to face the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters at 7:05 p.m. CT. Keith Kutzler (UW – Whitewater) is scheduled to start for the Kingfish.
