Wildcats Whip Out Another Win and Roast Riverside

The baseball team remained undefeated by beating Milwaukee Riverside 9-3 in a non-conference game Friday afternoon at USM. 

Before the game, USM’s coach Tim Bartz commented on the pressure on the team, “A couple of people at school said I must be feeling pressure.  What?  No way.  I feel fine.  We take it one by one, and play each game by itself.  Our guys don’t seem pressured.  They’re having fun.”

Even though they don’t feel any pressure by being undefeated, the game was a test for the USM players.  The Division 1 Tigers came into the game with a strong 12-3 record. But following the calm demeanor of their starting pitcher, Lane Stanford, the well-prepared Wildcats passed the test like it was a sixth grade pop quiz.  Stanford scattered 8 hits and 3 walks, and struck out 11 in 6.2 innings to keep the Tigers caged. The crafty lefthander also picked two runners off first base with a surprisingly deceptive move.  Meanwhile his teammates rapped out 11 hits, including 3 doubles that were all hit with runs on base. They gained an ‘A’ on the test and their eighteenth victory.

Riverside had an early lead in the top of the second.  With one out, Jordan King singled and stole second.  Ivan Deleccio’s infield single moved King to third and Jamelle Tunstall’s single to right drove him in. 

The Tigers’ one-run lead didn’t put any pressure on the Wildcats. They went ahead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the very same inning.  Nathan Burke led off with a walk and advanced to third on Paul Shimshak’s single to right.  Shimshak took second on an error on the play attempting to get Burke. Duncan Brown singled to drive in Burke and send Jack Wells, who was running for Shimshak, to third.   With Nishad Agrawal at the plate, Brown and Wells attempted a double steal.  Brown made it to second, but Riverside read the play.  Instead of throwing to second, catcher John Parlier threw the ball to the pitcher, Brennan Richmond, who threw it back home, to catch Wells sliding toward the plate. Agrawal’s single moved Brown to third, and Brown sprinted home safely scored when Joey Judge hit a grounder behind the advancing runner.

Riverside kept the game tight for a while, scoring a run in the top of the third to tie the score at two all.  Brandon Owens led off with a single and advanced to second on an error. He stole third and made it home on an error on the attempt to stop his steal.

USM broke it open in the bottom of the inning.  Josh Baker led off with a walk. The next batter, Tommy Pennington, reached on a fielder’s choice that erased Baker.  Pennington promptly stole second and scored on Billy Lawton’s single to right.  Burke doubled to put Wildcats on second and third.  Wells followed with another double to drive in two more.  After an out, Agrawal dropped a single into right that drove home Wells and gave USM a 6-2 lead.

Stanford got the Tigers to go three up three down in the top of the fourth. His teammates added two more runs in the bottom of the inning.  With two out Pennington drew a walk.  Lawton followed with a double to deep center to give USM a 7-2 lead. Burke quickly increased USM’s lead by singling to center to drive in Lawton.

Stanford surrendered a walk in the fifth, but he picked the runner off and struck out the other two Tigers for another easy inning.

USM scored its last run in the bottom of the fifth.  With two out, Pennington singled.  He stole second and took third on an error on the play.  He then scored when Burke hit another RBI single.

The Tigers scored one more in the top of the 7th when they loaded the bases with a double by Jeremy Gray and two walks off of Stanford.  Burke came on in relief and hit Brandon Richmond with a pitch to force in a run.  Burke then struck out the next batter, and the Wildcats had added another win to their record. 

In the game, Stanford was the winner, and Alejandro Smith took the loss for Riverside. At the plate USM was led by Burke, who went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored; Lawton who went 2 for 3 with a double, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored; and Agrawal, who went 2 for 3.

USM is now 18-0 and 12-0 in the Midwest Classic Conference North.  The Wildcats’ next test is a conference game against Dominican at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at USM.