KENOSHA, WI — The Kenosha Kingfish earned their first win of the season in walk-off fashion against the Wausau Woodchucks 3-2.

After taking a shut-out loss to the Woodchucks to open their season yesterday, the Fish sought revenge going into tonight’s match-up and took it in the bottom of the ninth.

The last-minute rally kicked off with Robert Newland standing patiently in the box to take a lead-off walk and get on base for the Fish. Newland wouldn’t stay on first for long as he immediately strode for second on the first wild pitch of Tristan Ellis’ at-bat, eager to get his team in scoring position. Shortly after, Ellis snuck a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line for his first hit of the night, advancing Newland to third.

The bottom of the order’s success circled back to the top, starting with Dayton Murphy ready for his turn at the plate. The at-bat began with an immediate passed ball, welcoming Newland to charge home and tie the game at two apiece, bringing the bundled-up Kenosha crowd to its feet. 

With an ecstatic atmosphere, the flexibility of no outs and Ellis now on second, it was anyone’s game—and two pitches later, Trent Ellis called it for the Kingfish.

Right as Jake Crew’s fastball tipped off the glove of his catcher, Ellis was out of the gate. His initial goal? Reach third base. The outcome? Reaching third and home to win the game for Kenosha. 

While rounding third, it was easy for Ellis to notice Wausau had no pinpoint on where the ball had gone, allowing him to charge down the third base line and slide fingers-first over the plate with ease.

It wasn’t long until the second baseman was hounded by his teammates, the lights of Historic Simmons Field flashing erratically over them.

The Kingfish now stand at 1-1 heading into their four-day away game stretch, aiming to maintain their high energy against the Battle Creek Battle Jacks tomorrow evening at 5:35 p.m.

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The Kenosha Kingfish are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans in a friendly ballpark experience than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 360 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network.  Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.kenoshakingfish.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Kingfish as your favorite team.