LA CROSSE, WI – Copeland Park is known by its faithful as “The Lumberyard” but tonight it was also called “The Beerhouse.”
No, tonight’s “beer batter of the game” did not strike out every time he came up to bat, but for the first time in almost forty years, the ball club known as the “Old Styles” took the field for a game against the Rochester Honkers. The Honkers however, must not like Old Style beer, because they quickly put a damper on the fanfare of the baseball team’s return game.
The La Crosse Old Styles began play in the summer of 1978. Over the course of nine seasons, the Old Styles finished with an all-time record of 346-132 and won multiple championships including the American Baseball Congress West Central Regional Championship in 1979 and the National Baseball Congress Wisconsin State Tournament in 1981.
This year’s team has shown the ability to score runs first, regardless of if they’re wearing Logger green or Old Style navy. Once again it was the home team that got the scoring started tonight. In the bottom of the third inning, the first two batters singled allowing Mitch Wood (Yavapai College) to clear the bases with a two RBI double. Not only did the Old Styles score first, but they also made some incredible defensive plays to keep the Honkers scoreless through five.
The story of the game would change in the sixth inning. After three straight singles to lead off the inning, a walk would score the first Honker run. A single by Ben North scored two more to give Rochester the lead 3-2. Before you could say “Copeland” a hit-by-pitch, sacrifice fly, more singles, and more walks made the game 7-2 in the Honkers’ favor. The scoring would not stop there as the Honkers plated five more runs in the top of the seventh.
From there, the Old Style bats were out of juice. After scoring in the third inning, they would only amass four hits the rest of the game. The Rochester Honkers spread their wings on their way to a 9-2 record, while the La Crosse Old Styles stumbled their way to 3-6 amid a six-game losing streak.
The Loggers are back in action tomorrow afternoon as they kick off a five-game road trip. They are back home at Copeland Park to play the St. Cloud Rox on June 15th.
