Tigers Hold On In Essig

5/12/13

Springfield visited Essig Ballpark on Sunday afternoon for a Mother's Day matinee. After the first six innings, the teams were tied at 2. The floodgates were opened in the seventh and ninth innings as the teams combined to plate 16 runs. The Tigers scored one more in each of the big innings, and that was the difference, as they came out on top, 11-9.

Jacob Menage started a two-out rally with a single in the top of the first. Ryan Sturm was hit by a pitch. Christian Loomis started the scoring with an RBI base hit to put the visitors on the board.

Kyle Krzmarzick began in the bottom of the first with a double. A base on balls and an infield single loaded the bases. Dusty Fleck drove in the tying run via a fielder's choice. Ryan Weier put the Bluejays on top with a solid single. Cole Milbrath ended the threat when he pulled in the third out on a great diving catch in right-center field.

Essig starter Eric Scheibel hit Marc Salazar to start the second. A wild pitch moved him to second before Brandon Wilhelmi helped himself by driving in the tying run on a single.

After the tough first, Wilhelmi settled in, working scoreless innings in the second through the sixth. Scheibel also kept Springfield from any further damage until he was relieved after the fourth. Ted Mohr took over on the bump in the top of the fifth. He got off to a solid start, working two scoreless innings.

In the top of the seventh, Mohr's defense let him down as they committed three errors. Springfield took advantage of the miscues with big RBI knocks from Cooper Scheffler and Menage. After the third out was recorded, the Tigers held a four run lead, 6-2.

Wilhelmi retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh. Then Mitch Stueber started a two-out rally with his third hit of the day. Dusty Fleck followed with a two-run homer to left-center field, cutting the Springfield lead in half. Weier followed with a single. He came around to score via a passed ball, balk, and wild pitch, making the score 6-5.

Trailing by just one, Essig went to the bullpen for veteran right-hander Fleck. He retired the Tigers in order in the eighth. Springfield also turned to a veteran right-hander in Jason Nachreiner. He struck out the side in the home half of the eighth.

The clear blue sky and sunshine allowed Springfield to start the ninth with a base hit. After getting a strikeout, Fleck walked Wilhelmi and Zach Bisel to load the bases. The Tigers got a run back with the help of another Bluejay error. Sturm then came through with a bases clearing triple. Essig then brought on Jordan Guggisberg to pitch. Loomis proceeded to drop down a bunt to drive in Springfield's fifth run of the inning.

Nachreiner went back to the mound with more breathing room than the one-run lead he protected in the eighth, but Essig battled back, getting four runs and the potential tying run to second base, before Nachreiner was able to coax a ground ball to end the ballgame for an 11-9 Springfield victory.

The middle of the Springfield lineup had a big day with the three, four, and five hitters combining for six hits and seven RBIs. Jacob Menage led the way with three hits. Christian Loomis had two hits. Brandon Wilhelmi, Cooper Scheffler and Marty Brandl added one hit each. Essig's three, four, and five batters had a similarly productive day, combining for nine hits and five runs batted in. Mitch Stueber reached base every time he came to the plate with four hits and a walk. Dusty Fleck added three hits, while Ryan Weier added two singles to the Bluejays' offense. Wilhelmi earned the win on the mound, working seven innings, notching nine strikeouts, while allowing five runs, four earned. Ted Mohr took the loss for Essig, working three innings, allowing four unearned runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Jason Nachreiner picked up his second save of the season, working the final two frames.

The win improves Springfield to 2-0 in Tomahawk East League play and 3-0 overall. Next up, the Tigers will play their first night game of the young season when St. James visits Riverside Park on Sunday at 7:30pm. Come cheer on the Tigers!

NOTES: Each team had a player record his first career amateur hit, Cooper Scheffler for the Tigers and Jay Helget for the Bluejays...Springfield's 2-0 start in the Tomahawk East is their best since they started 2-0 in 2009 in league play...Essig is currently fundraising to install lights at their ballpark. They are currently one of just two teams in the league without lights, the other being Gibbon.

Linescore

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
Springfield	1	1	0	0	0	0	4	0	5	11	9	2	4
Essig	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	4	9	13	4	9

Springfield Box

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
Wilhelmi, P/SS	4	2	1	1	1	0
Bisel, C	4	1	0	0	1	3
Menage, CF	5	2	3	2	0	0
Sturm, 3B	4	0	1	3	0	0	3B, HP
Kirschstein, PR	0	1	0	0	0	0
Loomis, 2B	4	0	2	2	0	0	SAC
Vogel, LF	3	0	0	0	0	1	SAC
Mx. Salazar, LF	1	0	0	0	0	0
Ma. Salazar, 1B	3	2	0	0	0	0	HP
C. Milbrath, RF/PR	2	2	0	0	0	0	HP
Brandl, PH	1	0	1	0	0	0
Scheffler, SS	3	1	1	1	0	0
Nachreiner, P	1	0	0	0	0	1
	35	11	9	9	2	5
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Wilhelmi (W, 2-0)	7	9	5	4	2	9
Nachreiner (SV, 2)	2	4	4	4	1	4

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