Preble's Late Surge Sinks East/West
A Preble baserunner slides under East/West's Ryan Vanderburgt (Spencer Flaten/Wisconsin Baseball Central)
GREEN BAY—The Green Bay Preble Hornets used a late game surge to overcome Green Bay East/West at Joannes Stadium on Monday, 5-2.
The Devilcats gave fifth-ranked Preble a tough fight, but fell just short at the end. Solid pitching throughout left the game deadlocked at two runs apiece heading into the final inning, when the finally Hornets found some timely offense.
Freshman Ryan Stefiuk got the start on the mound for Preble, while junior Zach Watzka took the bump for the Devilcats.
Jayden Adrians put Preble on the board first in the top of the first inning with a sacrifice fly. East/West responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame. Max Van Boxel led off with a triple and Watzka hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.
Preble regained the lead in the top of the second inning. Max Wagner hit a two out RBI single to score Zach Renier.
The Devilcat offense got going again in the bottom of the fourth. They loaded the bases to chase Stefiuk from the game, and Ryan Vanderburgt grounded out for an RBI and tied the game at two.
Both teams got runners into scoring position in the later stages of the game, but couldn’t find a timely hit to take the lead. East/West had runners on second and third in the sixth, but Preble reliever Griffin Summers came up with a big strikeout to escape the threat.
Wagner led off the seventh with an infield single for Preble and eventually stole second base. Roeser then drilled an RBI single up the middle to give the Hornets a 3-2 lead. They got some insurance later in the inning when two runs scored on a Devilcat error.
Summers kept East/West quiet in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the win for Preble. He earned the win, pitching 1.1 innings in relief and striking out two.
Stefiuk tossed 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on two hits and three walks. He struck out six. Watzka allowed two runs in 3 innings of work, scattering three hits and two walks. Brett Mecikalski pitched four innings of relief for East/West and allowed one earned run with six strikeouts.
Roeser led Preble with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Wagner had two hits for the Hornets. Van Boxel finished 1-for-2 with two intentional walks.
The Hornets stole nine bases in the victory.
Preble improved to 5-0 with the win, while East/West dropped to 3-4 this season.
