West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

SATURDAY JUNE 28 Rookies Cubs 4 Jetsetter Pilots 2 Rookies Cubs 2 Jetsetter Pilots 1 (5 innings) TUESDAY JUNE 24 Milwaukee Athletics 3 Milwaukee Angels 2 Milwaukee Angels 6 Milwaukee Athletics 5 SATURDAY JUNE 21 Milwaukee Athletics 14 West Allis White Sox 3 McGuire's Cats 9 Jetsetter Pilots 7 TUESDAY JUNE 17 Milwaukee Angels 10 Rookies Cubs 6 Milwaukee Angels 2 Rookies Cubs 0 McGuire's Cats 10 Jetsetter Pilots 9 Milwaukee Angels 6 West Allis White Sox 1

It was hard to determine the greater foe on Saturday night, the West Allis White Sox or Mother Nature. After Friday and Saturday rains, Zirkel Field was saturated and in need of preparation if games were to be played. Thanks to the handiwork of manager, Tim Spata, and several of his associates, games were on! The inability to take pre-game batting practice showed, though. Game one was a scoreless duel until the sixth inning when Brian Gibson's jam job single over first base scored Jake Koutnik with the game's first run. Tim Spata then followed with an RBI single and pitcher Joe Kissler did the rest. As he did in similar fashion against the Milwaukee Angels, Kissler stymied the opposition bats, allowing the Nationals time to get their offense in gear. On this day, Kissler threw his second shutout of the season in leading the Nationals to a 2-0 victory. Kissler improves to 5-0 on the season. Little changed in game two. Neither team was able to muster any offense until the fifth inning. After a Tim Spata walk and Mike Wajerski bunt, Jake Paige blooped a single. Alex Franson followed with a sacrifice fly to medium left, scoring Spata, and the Nationals had a 1-0 lead. The West Allis White Sox matched, however, in the sixth and the game headed for extra innings. In the eighth, Jared Stengel was the catalyst. His two out single to center put the White Sox' tiring starting pitcher in the stretch. From there, he struggled to find the strike zone, walking Gibson, Spata, and, finally, Mike Wajerski on a 3-2 pitch to bring home Stengel with the lead run. That was enough for Nationals pitcher, Nick Kibler. Kibler overpowered the White Sox in the eighth and the Nationals walked off with a 2-1 victory. The victory puts the Nationals alone atop the American Division of the Milwaukee Independent Wood Bat League at 10-2. With the cancellation of the previously scheduled July 4 doubleheader, the team takes a well-deserved holiday break. No games are scheduled until Tuesday July 8 when the Nationals host the Jetsetter Pilots at Zirkel Field in McCarty Park. The single, nine inning affair will begin at 7PM.

Friday's game versus the Racine Kiwanis was washed by some late afternoon thunderstorms. The game has been rescheduled for MONDAY JULY 14, 7PM at ZIRKEL FIELD in McCarty Park.

Lance Longhenry is proud to announce the birth of a son on Wednesday June 25, 2002 at 6:09pm. Like Lance, the offspring is a lightweight, weighing in at 7lbs 11oz. We've got your back, Lance. We'll won't sleep until we find the man who did this!

Due to a recent rash of injuries for the Nationals and a backlog of rainout makeups for Racine, the doubleheader between the two clubs scheduled for July 4 has been cancelled. The games will not be made up this season.