West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

The West Allis Nationals traveled to Lombard Illinois on Saturday for a DH vs the first place Orioles.

The Nats led each game late, but Lombard rallied each time, downing the Natties by scores of 8-5 and 5-4.

In game one the Nationals took advantage of uncharacteristic defensive miscues by Lombard and some timely hits to plate 4 runs in the third inning in claiming a 4-3 advantage.  That lead was 5-4 after 4.5 innings, but Lombard erupted to 4 runs in that frame to put the game away.

Jonah Meidl and John Keane led the offense with two hits a piece.

Game two progressed similarly.   After Lombard plated the games first run, the Nationals responded with one of their own.  John Keane tripled and scored on a ground out by Jonah Meidl.   The Nationals added single tallies in the fifth, sixth, and seventh to take a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom half.  John Keane was instrumental in two of the scoring innings, doubling and scoring in the fifth and singling in Max Widmar, who'd previously singled, in the sixth.

Jim Jungbauer had held Lombard to two hits and one run going into the last half of the seventh and appeared to have the victory in hand with two outs, but Lombard's 9 hitter lined one to the gap in right center that caromed off the glove of Meidl to keep Lombard alive.   The next hitter lined a two strike single to left to tie the game 4-4.   Lombard then won the game in the 8th on a walk off single.

The Nationals are back home at Kuenn Field in West Allis next Thursday and Friday with games against Sheboygan and Pewaukee respectively.  Both contests are set to begin at 7:30pm.

The West Allis Nationals got off to a slow start Thursday night at Zirkel Field and were down 7-0 in the 2nd inning.   The team battled back to make it a 7-6 game, but Kewaskum put them away with a 4 run sixth inning.

Jonah Meidl, Brian Huntzinger, and newcomer Riley Richarz all contributed two knocks for the Nationals.

Next up are the Lombard Orioles on Saturday in Lombard, IL.   The teams will play a DH starting at 4pm. 

Though the Nationals lumber continues to slumber, the team scratched out a run in the ninth on Thursday night to tie the contest at 2-2.    Unfortunately that momentum was short lived.   West Bend plated the winning run with two outs in the bottom half of the frame to take the game 3-2.

Aaron Goecks provided the Nats with an early 1-0 lead on a solo homer to right field.   West Bend countered in the fifth with a two out single that scored two to give them a 2-1 lead.

That score held until the ninth.  Matt Richer coaxed a lead off walk and promptly stole second.   With one out and Richer on the move again, Curt Pryal hit a ground ball to the left of the shortstop which he failed to field cleanly and Richer came around to score the tying run.

The game appeared headed for extra innings when rookie Jon Caban, making his Nationals debut, struck out the first two men in the 9th.   The next hitter drew his third walk of the game and advanced on a pitch in the dirt.   With two strikes, West Bend's three hitter ended it, sending his third hit of the game down the line in left.

Next up for the Nationals are the Wisconsin State League's Addison Braves.   The Braves come to Harvey Kuenn Field in West Allis on Saturday for a DH starting at 3pm.   Come early and receive your own HOF Tentoni face-on-a-stick giveaway item - free to the first 5 fans.

"DH's...why even bother playing?   Just agree to the split and start drinking 6 hours earlier" - Tentoni

The West Allis Nationals and Kenosha Kings split a Wisconsin State League DH on Saturday afternoon at Kuenn Field in West Allis with the Natties taking game 1 by a score of 1-0 and the Kings capturing the nightcap, 2-1.

Jim Jungbauer threw a complete game, three hit shutout in the opener, striking out four.   Jonah Meidl provided the necessary offense, tripling in the fifth and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Brian Huntzinger.

Game two was similar in most regards other than the outcome.   Tom Starck started on the bump and threw well.   After allowing a first inning run on some well placed, if not well struck, balls, Starck found a groove and held the Kings scoreless until allowing a pair of fifth inning doubles.   Starck finished after six innings, allowing only 2 runs while striking out 6.

Nationals newcomer Aaron Goecks provided the offense for the Nationals, tripling in the fourth and scoring on a single from Nick Schmidlekofer.

Next up for the Nationals are the West Bend 7Up on Thursday June 2 in West Bend.  The Southeastern Wisconsin Baseball League game will begin a 7:30pm. 

The skies parted over Sheboygan on an otherwise tumultuous day as our Heavenly Father showed His sense of humor and infinite authority over all matters.   How else does one explain persistent and heavy rain thoughout the rest of the state and non-stop on the hour drive up only to find a playable field in Sheboygan....er God's country.   God also showed His favor on the A's this day as they took the WSL opener for both teams by a score of 5-3.   Not sure how many Natties have been in a pew for anything other than the Karas nuptuals recently, so the team is hiring a new team chaplain to bring God to them.

Jonah Meidl picked up where he left off last season, getting hit by a pitch to lead off the game.  He advanced to third when Matt Richer reached on an error by the second baseman.  Will Johnson, who swings like only Bob Herrick, then lined a single to right to plate the game's first two runs. 

Pressed into an emergency spot start on the bump, the artist formerly known as CP 14 in the 15 showed off his finest early.   Now simply known as pickoff symbol ©®™, number 14 picked off not one, but two baserunners from first base in the first inning in keeping the A's off the board.

A Matt Richer double plated Meidl again in the third inning, increasing the Nats lead to 3-0, but the offense blacked out after that - literally and figuratively.    As most visiting teams know, night ensues quickly once the sun goes down at Wildwood Park.  

The A's tied the game in the fifth after consecutive knocks from the heart of their lineup, ending the night for pickoff symbol ©®™.

Aaron Woods pitched a clean sixth, but encountered command challenges on the wet field in the seventh.   Though he did not allow a hit, he walked two, hit two more, and through a wild pitch as the A's took a 5-3 lead.

That lead held; the Nats went down in order in the eighth and ninth innings.

Following the game the team convened to review the "hit" and "score" signs never flashed from the third base coaching box.    Also, after a brief appearance by false idol Budweiser - aka A's #19 - post game order was restored and High Life flowed like mother's milk. 

Next up for the Nats are the Kenosha Kings in a WSL DH on Saturday at 3pm at Kuenn Field in Rainbow Park, West Allis.   BP will be at 1pm, followed by a silent prayer service lead by the team's new chaplain.   It will be a time of reflection and penance.   Attendance by all bats is mandatory.