Ben Stephens Sets Kingfish Season Strikeout Record at 54
WAUSAU, Wis. – The Kenosha Kingfish (19-15) kept their slim playoff hopes alive on a 9-5 win over the Woodchucks (14-19) on Thursday night at Athletic Park.
Ben Stephens (Eastern Illinois) tied the Kingfish season strikeout record at 53 in the third inning and broke the record with his 54th strikeout of the season in the sixth inning.
Kenosha went up 3-0 in the first inning off three hits. Connor Mang (New Mexico) and Ethan Owens (Drury) plated runs on fielder’s choices and Jonah Landowski (Marian) drove in Mang on single.
Mitchell Buban (UW – Milwaukee) continued the scoring for the Kingfish with a leadoff home run to start the fourth inning that put Kenosha up 4-0.
Zach Nogalski (UW – Milwaukee) drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth inning to score Brendan Hueth (Saint Joseph’s) and put the Kingfish up 5-0. Mang extended Kenosha’s lead 7-0 in the fifth on his second RBI fielder’s choice of the game. Owens capped the scoring in the fifth on an RBI single that scored Mike Jarvis (San Diego State).
T.J. Reeves (Alabama) scored the Woodchucks first run in the sixth on a bases loaded hit by pitch and Kaebor Rog (FIU) drove in one more on a sacrifice fly to cut Kenosha’s lead down to 7-2.
In the seventh inning the Woodchucks pulled the score to 7-3 on a bases loaded walk by Kenosha reliever Nate Seprosky (URI). Seprosky stabilized and ended the frame with two bases loaded strikeouts.
The Woodchucks scored two more unanswered runs in the eighth off a single by Alec Arnone (UC – Riverside) and a Reeves double.
Jacob DeLabio (Carthage College) entered the game with one out in the eighth inning. He slammed the door with the score 7-5 and the tying run at second base.
Jarvis put the game out of reach with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth putting Kenosha’s lead 9-5.
DeLabio retired the side in order in the ninth and got the save while securing the win for the Kingfish.
Stephens got the win for the Kingfish. Nick Lebamoff (Kankakee CC) took the loss for the Woodchucks pitching 4 1/3 innings and giving up seven runs on seven hits.
The Kingfish return to Atheltic Park in Wausau on Friday for their final regular season road game of the season. Sam Marhefke (Loras College) is scheduled toe the rubber for Kenosha with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. CT.
