Wildcats Drop Baseball Opener

After nearly three weeks of cancellations due to inclement weather, the University School baseball team began its season with a non-conference home game Saturday.  USM lost to Milwaukee Riverside University High School, 11-9.

The Wildcats held the lead from the bottom of the first inning until the top of the seventh inning, when they surrendered five runs and consequently, the game.

USM’s head coach, Tim Bartz said, “It was a tough loss on our opening day.  It was also tough to have our opening day three weeks later than expected.  I’m glad we finally got to play.  The only way we can get better is to play. You can only learn things by actually playing, things you don’t experience in practice.  We made a lot of mistakes, but wow we know what we need to work on. We will get better as the season goes on, and we play outside.”

After Riverside scored twice in the top of the first, the Wildcats came right back and scored four runs in the bottom of the inning.  With one out Duncan Brown singled and then stole second.  Greg Trinkl walked.  Billy Lawton then drilled a double to deep left center, driving in Brown and Trinkl. Will Rosean courtesy ran for Lawton and scored when Jake Watton lined a double to left.  Watton stole third base and scored when Nishad Agrawal doubled to centerfield.

USM made the score 6-2 in the bottom of the second.  David D’Ambrisi led off with a walk, and Steven Swanson courtesy ran for D’Ambrisi. Jack Wells then hit a ground ball up the middle for a base hit and like an express train, Swanson hustled into third and slid under the tag. Wells took second on the throw.  Brown walked to fill the bases.  Trinkl then walked to score Swanson. Wells scored on an infield double play.

A walk, two hit batsmen, and a wild pitch allowed the Tigers to narrow the score by one run in the top of the third.  In the top of the fourth Riverside added two more on a leadoff single, an infield single, two wild pitches, and two stolen bases, including one of home.  That made the score 6-5.

The Wildcats added a run in the bottom of the fourth.  Brown led off with a double, and Trinkl followed with a single.  Brown was thrown out at the plate on the play, but Lawton followed with another single that scored Trinkl.

The Tigers tightened the score by one on a walk, two stolen bases, and a wild pitch in the top of the fifth.

USM added two runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Wells led off with a bunt single and soon stole second.  Brown then bunted down the first base line for a single.  Wells went to third and raced home on an error on the play.  Brown stole second, advanced to third on a single by Lawton and scored on a groundout.

The Tigers took an 11-9 lead in the top of the seventh.  They scored two runs on five straight walks and a single.  A hit batsman allowed them to take the lead for the first time since the first, and they scored again on an error to gain the final margin of victory.

USM is now 0-1.  The Wildcats are scheduled to begin defense of their Midwest Classic Conference Championship at 4:30 on Monday we they face Lake Country Lutheran at USM.

Score by Innings

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Final

MRVS

2

0

1

2

1

0

5

11

USM

4

2

0

1

0

2

0

9

USM Batting leaders:

Billy Lawton: AB, 4; R, 2; H, 3; RBIs, 3; BB 1; 2B, 1;

Duncan Brown: AB, 4; R, 2; H, 3; RBIs, 0; BB 1; 2B, 1;

Jack Wells: AB, 5; R, 2; H, 3; RBIs, 0; BB 0; 

Nishad Agrawal: AB, 2; R, 0; H, 1; RBIs, 1; BB 2; 2B, 1;

Jake Watton: AB, 4; R, 1; H, 1; RBIs, 2; BB 1; 2B, 1.

USM Pitching:

Billy Lawton:  IP, 2; H, 3; R, 2; ER, 1; BB 1; K, 4; 

David D’Ambrisi: IP, 1; H, 0; R, 1; ER, 0; BB 1; K, 2; 

Tripp Doheny: IP, 1.2; H, 2; R, 3; ER, 2; BB 1; K, 2; 

Will Rosean: IP, 1.1; H, 0; R, 0; ER, 0; BB 1; K, 2; 

Greg Trinkl: IP, 0.1; H, 0; R, 5; ER, 4; BB 5; K, 1; Loss

Billy Miller: IP, 0.2; H, 1; R, 0; ER, 0; BB 0; K, 0.