Posted: July 6, 2010 |(0) Comments

Homestead baseball

From Highlander coach Ernie Millard's point of view, his team still can't throw the ball over the plate on a regular basis and still can't field it all the time when they do.

But he also reports that there is still good news to talk about.

"No one is quitting," he said after the Highlanders rallied from an 8-2 deficit to beat Slinger 12-9, on Monday and came back twice to beat Whitefish Bay, 11-6, last Friday.

The two victories, which came after a discouraging loss to Bay earlier in the week, improved the Highlanders to 6-10 in North Shore play and 11-14 overall. They will host powerhouse Nicolet on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in their North Shore closer and then will be off until Tuesday when they host Wauwatosa West in a 5:30 p.m. nonconference tilt.

Homestead was down 8-2 after three innings to Slinger, but posted big innings in the fourth, sixth and seventh to pull out the win. Jake Erfourth and Mitch Hauser had big hits in the fourth, as did Max Beckers and Kevin Koch in the three-run sixth that tied the score at 9-9.

In the three-run seventh that won the game, Beckers had a huge, two-out, two-run double to clinch it. Doug Mueller, who pitched two scoreless innings to get the win, put down the Owls one-two-three to finish things off.

"We haven't done that in a long time," Millard said.

Mueller is a good example of Millard's "no-quit" contention as he broke a bone in his left (glove) hand several weeks ago, but is still pitching effectively despite a cast that goes well up his forearm. He is still able to slide a glove over his cast, said Millard.

In the Bay win, the Highlanders fell behind, 2-0, and, 4-2, but took advantage of four walks and a key error to score six runs in the sixth to put the game away. Andrew Holtorf got the win in relief, throwing the final two innings while Beckers had three hits, including two doubles and four RBIs.

The win made up for a frustrating 7-6 loss to the Blue Dukes on June 29.

Whitefish Bay baseball

That June 29 win was the high point of the week for Bay, as they dropped a 12-2 decision to Nicolet on Monday (see separate story) and then lost that rematch with the Highlanders despite a four hit effort from Mike Leckie and three-hit showing from Jeff Kerr.

The June 29 win was a breath of fresh air for the Blue Dukes, who had lost both the completion of a suspended game and a 10-inning heartbreaker to Grafton on June 28. In the second contest of that evening, Bay coach Jay Wojcinski was ejected for arguing a call, and so he remained a spectator on the sidelines of the Homestead tilt, with trusted assistant Eric Vincent handling the game-time reins

Homestead took a 6-4 lead in the top of the sixth with a three-hit, three-run effort, but then turned into its own worst enemy in the bottom of the frame.

The Highlanders committed three costly errors and one crucial balk, allowing Bay to score three runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth and pull out a 7-6 win.

"It was a heck of a game," said Wojcinski, whose squad has had problems finishing off victories this summer, "but the kids put in good at bats and put the ball in play."

"Having to finish off a game in the seventh was a pretty familiar spot for us. It was about time we got one done. Maybe this will be the start of good things for us."

An infield single by Bay's Austin Gavic was followed by three successive infield errors allowed the tieing runs to score in the sixth. A balk then brought in James Stecker with the gamewinner.

Then in the top of the seventh, Joe Fiorita relieved Pat Rose for Bay and earned the save by putting the Highlanders down in order with a groundout, a lineout and a strikeout.

"Pat (Rose, two strikeouts, four walks and one hit batsmen) battled and kept us in the game," said Wojcinski. "He gave up his hits for sure, but he gave us a chance. It was good that we were able to pull this out. In five of our six league losses, we have had a lead going into the seventh inning."

Brown Deer baseball

A harrowing 7-6 triumph over St. Thomas More on Friday was the highlight of a frustrating week for the Falcons.

They dropped an 11-4 decision to South Milwaukee on Monday, and got swept in a doubleheader by New Berlin West on June 30, 14-2, and, 7-5.

The Falcons started the week at 8-10 in Woodland play and 11-12 overall.

Against More, Brown Deer scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 7-3 lead but then watched as the Cavaliers scored three runs in the top of the seventh before senior reliever Joey Mattefs was able to shut the door and secure the win.

Mattefs threw three innings with four strikeouts in relief of freshman Drew Worth (four innings, three runs, two walks). Chris Smith had three hits, including a double, while Evan Naber had two hits including a home run.

In the nightcap of the twinbill loss to West, the Falcons rapped out 12 hits and scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, but still came up a little short. Mattefs had three hits including a double, a triple and two RBIs while Kyle Okray and Sean Andryauskas had two hits apiece.

Against South Milwaukee, Brown Deer closed the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the fourth, but then the Rockets took control with five runs in their half of the frame.

Brown Deer will visit West today for a 5 p.m. game and will host Pewaukee at 7 p.m. Friday.

Shorewood baseball

It was a case of one strong effort and one weak effort in a pair of Woodland Conference doubleheaders for the Greyhounds last week.

Unfortunately for Shorewood, they all wound up in the loss column as the Greyhounds were swept by St. Thomas More on June 29, 14-0, and, 9-8, and then by Cudahy, 5-4, and, 18-7, July 1.

They finished out the week on a rough note with a 15-2 loss to nonconference power Menomonee Falls on Saturday after they fell to Whitnall, 14-2, on Friday.

Shorewood began the week at 5-19.

In the first game of the doubleheader loss to Cudahy, the Greyhounds scored three times in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4, only to have the Packers push across the game-winner in the bottom of the same frame.

Alex McMurtry scattered just six hits for the Greyhounds and was helped by a defense that didn't commit an error. He did have six walks to go along with his two strikeouts.

Pat Leitheiser knocked home a run and had a double for Shorewood.

The Greyhounds came back well in the nightcap against More, after the Cavaliers scored 13 times in the second inning in the first game, five-inning rout.

In that second game, the Greyhounds actually broke out to a 5-0 lead after two innings. Freshman pitcher Elliott Kucharczyk threw four shutout innings before tiring in the sixth, when the Cavaliers tied the score, 5-5.

More went ahead 9-5 with four runs in the top of the seventh, but the Greyhounds fought back again, scoring three times before coming up short.

Joe Kelley had three hits while Declan Gruber had two.

The Greyhounds will be at Pewaukee today and then will host St. Francis at Henry Aaron on Friday. Both games are at 5 p.m.

 

- Steven L. Tietz