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Tigers Battle Back and Take Game One

7/26/13

With game time temperatures at an unseasonably cool 70 degrees, a rare sight for this time of the year could be seen at Riverside Park on Friday night: sleeves. The Tigers played host to Essig in game one of the best-of-three Tomahawk East playoff series. The Bluejays drew first blood and built a 3-1 lead after two and a half innings, but Springfield battled back to pick up a 5-3 victory.

Essig's offense went right to work on Springfield starter, Brandon Wilhelmi, to start the ballgame. Kyle Krzmarzick and Ryan Weier got back-to-back hits. An RBI ground out by Mitch Stueber drove in the Bluejay's first run. Terry Helget extended the lead to two with a two-out run scoring single.

In the home half of the first, Jacob Menage legged out an infield single off Bluejay starter Colton Petron. Alex Fink then ripped a double to cut into the Essig lead and make the score 2-1.

The Bluejays put together a two-out rally in the top of the third. Dusty Fleck started things with a double. Next up, Terry Helget came through with his second hit and RBI of the ballgame to push the Essig lead back to two at 3-1.

Wilhelmi helped himself with a single to start the bottom of the third. A stolen base moved him to second. A fly out moved him around to third. Petron then helped the Tigers. He unleashed a pitch to the backstop on which Wilhelmi came in to score.

The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth. Menage put together a great at-bat which resulted in a walk to start the inning. An attempted pick-off throw went down the right field line and allowed Menage to hustle around to third base. Fink then launched a fly ball to right field, deep enough for Menage to score via the sacrifice, and make it a new ballgame at three apiece.

After allowing the three early runs, Wilhelmi found his groove, facing just one batter over the minimum in the fourth through seventh innings.

The Tigers got to Petron in the bottom of the seventh. Cooper Scheffler legged out a one-out infield single. Zach Bisel followed with a base hit down the left field line to give the Tigers runners at the corners. Wilhelmi came through by dropping down a squeeze bunt to score Scheffler and give Springfield the lead. Menage followed by beating out his second infield hit of the game. Fink ripped a single to score Bisel and make the tally 5-3.

A Springfield miscue extended the top of the eighth inning. Terry Helget followed with his third hit of the night ending Wilhelmi's night. Manager Steve Helget turned the ball over to Fink who promptly got a ground ball to get the Tigers out of the jam.

After Christian Loomis drew a base on balls to start the Springfield eighth, Essig went to the bullpen to bring on Ted Mohr. Mohr got out of the inning with the score remaining 5-3. Fink pitched a one-two-three ninth to seal the Springfield victory.

Jacob Menage and Alex Fink led the Springfield bats with two hits each. Brandon Wilhelmi, Christian Loomis, Matt Vogel, Cooper Scheffler, and Zach Bisel all added one hit to the Tiger attack. Terry Helget led the Bluejays with three hits, while Dusty Fleck added two, including a double. Wilhelmi earned the win, working seven and two-thirds innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and racking up eight strikeouts. Colton Petron took the loss, going seven innings, allowing five runs, all earned, on eight hits with ten strikeouts. Fink picked up his first save of the season, working the final inning and one-third, while striking out a pair.

The win gives the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three game series. The teams will meet again on Sunday at 2pm in Essig. This is a familiar situation for Springfield. In the each of the last two seasons, the Tigers have won the opening game of the playoffs at home only to lose two straight to be bounced from the postseason. Springfield will look to write a different ending on Sunday. See you there!

NOTES: Alex Fink is on a clutch-hitting, run-driving-in tear. Over the last four games, he has driven in eleven runs...Springfield Junior Bi-County coaches Christian Loomis and Zach Bisel led their team to it's second straight league championship this week...Springfield's Legion Post 257 team continues their playoff run on Saturday at the Milroy Irish's Irish Yard at 1pm...Congratulations to Marty and Tara Brandl who celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary on Friday.


Scorecard


Linescore

123456789RHELOB
Essig2010000003816
Springfield10100120x5916

Springfield Box

ABRHRBIBBSO 
Wilhelmi, P/SS311101SAC
Menage, RF322011 
Fink, SS/P3023002B, SAC
Sturm, 1B300011 
Loomis, DH301011 
Vanderwerf, CF/PR000000 
Vogel, 3B401002 
Ma. Salazar, LF200001HP
Frank, LF100000 
Scheffler, 2B411001 
Bisel, C311002 
 29594310 
        
 IPHRERBBSO 
Wilhelmi (W, 6-3)7 2/383318 
Fink (SV, 1)1 1/300002

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