Orioles, Cavaliers Split Saturday DH

They could have walked Brian Burman.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and runners on first and third in a tie game, the smart move would have been walking the Cavaliers catcher to load the bases for Brett Vavra, who was 0-for-2 in the game.

But Lombard was feeling gutsy, and Burman made it regret it.

Burman smashed a single to right field for his third RBI of the game and the Cavaliers won a crucial game against the reigning Wisconsin State League champions 4-3 on Saturday at Carson Park.

The Orioles took game one of the doubleheader 9-3.

“I’ve just been really struggling so I’ve just been trying to simplify it and just make it easy,” Burman said. “I just tried to simplify everything, just forget about the first one and move on to the next one and have fun.”

Burman struck out looking in his two at-bats in the opener, but came through with two clutch hits in the nightcap.

The Orioles took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning but Burman stroked a single to right field with the bases loaded to give Eau Claire (5-6, 2-3 WSL) a 3-2 lead.

Memorial grad and former Eau Claire Express player Ben Kincaid came in for the save but hit Jake McNamara to lead off the inning. McNamara eventually would tie the game, but Burman made sure that the Cavaliers got the win.

“Lombard, they had one or two mistakes that they made, which is unusual, and we were able to capitalize on them,” Cavs manager Mark McHorney said. “Unfortunately, we had to win the game twice, but Brian Burman had a tough first game and came back and had a couple big hits in this game including the game-winner.”

Game two starter Marcus Perleberg didn’t earn a decision but threw a gem against a potent Orioles lineup. Perleberg, a lefty from Cardinal Stritch University, allowed just two runs and five hits through six innings. He walked three and struck out one.

“I knew going into the game that one through nine were able to hit so I was trying to mix it up, keep them off-balance,” Perleberg said. “They’re all good hitters. I just tried to take it pitch by pitch and hit my spots.”

Lombard’s Joe Sweeney threw a complete game in the opener and, despite allowing three unearned runs in the seventh, was lights out. He retired the first nine batters he faced.

The Orioles also had a big game from left fielder Craig Lipp, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. He was a single shy of the cycle and crushed a home run to deep right-center field for some late insurance.

“They show you why they’re such a good team and perennially a good team,” McHorney said. “They have good pitching, they hit in the clutch well, they hit for power. They just do the little things right.”

Eau Claire will host Lombard again today in a doubleheader with the first game scheduled to start at noon at Stein Field. The Cavaliers hope that the momentum generated from a walk-off win will continue into today’s contests.

“We absolutely have to (continue the momentum),” McHorney said. “They’re the perennial State League champions. To compete with them you’ve got to probably take three of four from them. They’re a tough team.”

Troy Peiffer and Chippewa Falls graduate Justin Jaquish are the scheduled starting pitchers for the Cavs.

Orioles 9, Cavaliers 3

Orioles (9)

AB-R-H-RBI: Dan Dispenza, rf, 3-1-1-1; James Vasquez, 2b, 5-0-0-0; Ricky Angell, cf, 2-0-1-1; Nick Mitedero, dh, 2-2-0-0; Ryan Tutland, 3b, 4-2-2-0; Craig Lipp, lf, 4-3-3-4; A.J. Ryan, 1b, 4-1-2-1; Kevin Goergen, ss, 4-0-1-1; Zach Pasanowski 3-0-1-1; Joe Sweeney, p, 0-0-0-0. Totals 31-9-11-9.

CAVALIERS (3)

Nolan Fadness, ss, 2-0-1-0; Greg Rhude, ss, 0-0-0-0; Matt Miller, 2b, 3-0-0-0; Austin Lenzen, lf, 1-0-0-0; Brian Burman, dh, 2-0-0-0; Hiroshi Senda, ph, 1-0-0-0; Ben Kincaid, rf, 3-1-0-0; Mitch DeGrasse, lf/2b, 2-0-0-0; Brett Vavra, ph, 1-1-1-0; Seth Hurt, cf, 3-0-0-0; Nick Degen, 3b, 2-1-1-0; Jake McIlquham, 1b, 3-0-1-2; Dean Eisold, c, 3-0-1-1; Brady Sand, p, 0-0-0-0; R.J. Page, p, 0-0-0-0. Totals 26-3-5-3.

Orioles 100 203 3 — 9 11 1

Cavaliers 000 000 3 — 3 5 1

E — Tutland; DeGrasse. LOB — Orioles 8, Cavaliers 5. 2B — Fadness. 3B — Tutland, Lipp. HR — Lipp. SB — Dispenza. CS — Angell; Fadness.

Orioles IP H R ER BB SO

Sweeney, W 7 5 3 0 2 5

Cavaliers

Sand, L (1-3) 5 1/3 6 6 6 4 1

Page 1 2/3 5 3 3 3 0

WP — Sand. PB — Pasanowski; Eisold. HBP — by Sweeney (Fadness).

Cavaliers 4, Orioles 3

Orioles (3)

AB-R-H-RBI: Andrew Bain, lf, 4-0-1-1; John Coen, 3b/rf, 3-0-1-0; Ricky Angell, cf, 3-1-1-0; Nick Mitedero, 1b, 3-0-1-1; Anthony Feliciano, dh, 1-0-0-0; Kevin Goergen, pr/ss, 0-0-0-0; Pat Kenny, rf, 2-0-0-0; Ryan Tutland, ph/3b, 1-0-0-0; Jake McNamara, c, 2-1-1-0; Ken Lowden, pr, 0-1-0-0; Zach Pesanowski, c, 0-0-0-0; James Vasquez, 2b, 2-0-0-0; Drew Buddle, ss, 2-0-0-0; Dan Dispenza, ph, 1-0-1-0; Josh Ferry, p, 0-0-0-0; Matt Murphy, p, 0-0-0-0. Totals 24-3-6-2.

CAVALIERS (4)

Nolan Fadness, ss, 4-1-1-0; Matt Miller, 2b, 3-1-0-0; Jake McIlquham, dh, 3-0-1-0; Ben Kincaid, rf/p, 2-0-1-0; Mitch DeGrasse, lf, 0-1-0-0; Brian Burman, c, 4-1-3-3; Brett Vavra, lf/rf, 2-0-0-0; Greg Rhude, 3b, 3-0-2-0; Seth Hurt, cf, 3-0-0-1; Brady Sand, 1b, 3-0-0-0; Marcus Perleberg, p, 0-0-0-0. Totals 27-4-8-4.

Orioles 100 010 1 — 3 6 1

Cavaliers 000 120 1 — 4 8 0

E — Buddle. LOB — Orioles 5, Cavaliers 8. 2B — Bain, Mitedero; Fadness, Rhude. CS — Coen. SAC — Vasquez; Vavra.

Orioles IP H R ER BB SO

Ferry 6 6 3 2 3 3

Murphy, L 1 1 1 1 0 1

Cavaliers

Perleberg 6 5 2 2 3 1

Kincaid, W (1-0) 1 1 1 1 0 1

WP — Perleberg. PB — Burman. HBP — by Kincaid (McNamara).

Story by: Ben Peterson/Eau Claire Leader-Telegram