WSL Saturday Recap: Lombard Wins WSL Championship; A’s, Legends Advance to Consolation Championship

Lombard Orioles 5, West Allis Nationals 3

Game two of the Wisconsin State League Championship Series shaped up
early to be a pitchers’ duel. Lombard’s Andrew Mamlic and the Nat’s
Cody Griebling both cruised through three scoreless frames.

In the fourth, though, the Nats opened with consecutive singles by Matt
Richer and Nick Schmidlkofer and each advanced on a passed ball to put
runners on the corners with no one out. The next hitter, Max Widmar,
fought of multiple pitches in a nine pitch at bat before lining one through
the box for what appeared to be a run scoring single. Mamlic had other
ideas, however.  He deftly snared the liner and the runners held. A
short fly to center and liner to second followed, failing to plate
either run and ending a promising rally.

The champion Orioles responded in the manner expected of a champion,
taking that momentum and generating two runs with two outs in the bottom
half of the frame. Series MVP Marcus Pingleton (five hits – including a
double, two triples, and HR) hit a drive to right center that carried and
just cleared the wall over Huntzinger’s glove for an HR. Colin
Holderman and Anthony Drago followed with back-to-back doubles to put
Lombard up 2-0.

The Nationals responded in their half of the fifth with two runs to tie
the score. Chad Tindall walked, and Kyle Kalkopf and Brian Huntzinger
singled to load the bases with one out. Matt Richer followed with a
single for one RBI and Nick Schmidlkofer hit a sac fly to tie the score
at two. After an intentional walk to Max Widmar, Jake Kolasinski
followed with what appeared to be a game changing grand slam to left. 
Unfortunately for the Nats, the wind currents that carried Pingleton’s
drive a half inning earlier knocked down Kolasinski’s drive and Alex
Troop gloved it over the shoulder on the warning track to end the
inning.

The game was quiet until the 7th when Lombard added a run on a scoring
single by Keith Browning. Lombard then chased Griebling in the 8th when
Pingleton doubled home Tutland and Jeff Schubert hit a sac fly.

The Natties didn’t go quietly in the ninth. Down 5-2, Brian Huntzinger
doubled to right center and Matt Richer followed with a ground rule
double to right to make the score 5-3. Nick Schmidlekofer followed with
a single to put runners on the corners, but that would be as far as
Lombard would allow the Nats to go. Max Widmar hit a liner up the
middle that was gloved by the SS who easily converted it into a game
ending double play.

Sheboygan A’s 12, West Bend 7 Up 2

Blake Fleischman had four hits, Carter Amundsen three and
Eric Schmitz registered a complete game to lead the Sheboygan A’s over West Bend 7 UP and into the finals
of the Wisconsin State League consolation playoff.

The
score was a resounding 12-2 at Wildwood Park Saturday night.

Fleischman had three
singles and a double to drive in two runs for the A’s in the semifinal win, and
Amundsen drove in three with his two singles and double.

Wyatt Olson, Harry Steldt
and Adam Ryan all had two hits and Taylor Grimm belted his fifth home run of
the season.

Other Scores:
Northern Illinois Legends 9, Kenosha Kings 7