By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
BARABOO- One day after dropping a 7-2 contest to Antigo, the Ashwaubenon A’s legion baseball team lost to Lomira/Theresa by a score of 6-2 thus ending their season (July 28).
The A’s Logan Blazek had three of the four hits and Luke Hansford and Jeremy Cox each scored a run.
Kenny Immel was the winning pitcher for Lomira/Theresa going 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and four hits.
Blazek took the loss for the A’s giving up six runs in as many innings pitched.
“They found the hitting zone midway through the game,” said Ben Perry, Ashwaubenon A’s Head Coach. ”We also made some mistakes in the infield which you can’t do against good teams.”
The game started well for the A’s as Cox leapt high into the air and robbed Connor Kissering of a base hit.
With two outs, Koy Walsh singled to left field.
That was followed by a Mitchell Wroblewski shot to right field. A subsequent error sent Walsh all the way home giving Lomira/Theresa an early 1-0 lead.
Ashwaubenon started the game strong as well.
In the bottom of the first, Will Adair took first after he was hit by a pitch and then went to second on a successful steal attempt.
Adair, however, got caught in a run down after Cox blasted a shot to second base.
With two outs, and Cox still on first base, Blazek connected on an inside fast ball that went sailing over the left fielder.
It brought Cox in from first (Blazek settled for a double) and evened the game at one apiece.
The A’s added a single and walk to load the bases but stranded three after Lomira/Theresa got a third and final out.
After a scoreless top half of the second inning, the A’s added to the scoreboard.
Hansford led off with a single after the throw was late from the Lomira/Theresa infield.
Karch Van Dalen then put down a sacrifice bunt down the first base line advancing Hansford to second.
Adair then stepped into the batter’s box and singled.
With one out, and Cox up to bat, Immel continually threw back to first base trying to keep Adair as close to the bag as possible.
With a 2-2 count, Immel finally threw a pitch to Cox.
However, Adair was already on the move, and the subsequent throw went over the second basemen and advanced Hansford from third to put the A’s up 2-1.
With the same score in tact, Lomira/Theresa’s bats got hot in the top of the fourth.
After a pop out to start the inning, Wroblewski doubled to center and Isaiah Fryman singled off a breaking ball. Wroblewski was held up at third.
Logan Luedtke then hit a shot in the infield in which the A’s almost turned a double play.
The throw to first was a fraction late and it scored a run for Lomira/Theresa evening the game up at 2-2.
On the next bat, the A’s appeared to get out of the inning, after Bennett Broeske hit a simple chopper.
However, a throwing error gave Broeske a base hit and sent Luedtke all the way home giving Lomira/Theresa a 3-2 lead and all the momentum.
The bottom of the fifth presented another opportunity for the A’s.
After an opening out, Blazek continued his hitting magic by singling to left field.
Riley Siudzinski was hit by a pitch and then a subsequent pop out left one chance for Ashwaubenon to put some runs up.
Brady Wittig walked to load the bases, but once again the A’s left three stranded as Lomira/Theresa got out of the jam.
The air seemed to be taken right out of the sails of the A’s
“That was our second opportunity with bases loaded to put runs up and we just couldn’t find the contact zone,” said Perry. “I felt like in both of those innings, one hit would have put us right there.
Lomira/Theresa took the defensive stand and used it to juice up their bats in the top half of the sixth.
Luedtke led off with a bunt and stolen base.
With Lomira/Theresa holding a precarious one run lead (two outs), starting pitcher Immel hit a double to center to put his team up 4-2.
Kissering then connected on back to back doubles scoring Immel and putting Lomira/Theresa up 5-2.
They weren’t finished.
One additional single scored Kissering to give Lomira/Theresa a four-run advantage.
“We didn’t want it to end like this,” said Perry. “But to think of where we were back in June to now finishing our season in Baraboo, it’s pretty special. These guys deserve this for the work they put in. It stings right now, but we will be back.”
Box Score:
Ashwaubenon 110 000 0 2 4 3
Lomira/Theresa 100 203 0 6 12 4
