By: Nick Witwer
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Blue Ribbons of past and present were all back at Joannes on Friday as the Blue Ribbons hosted Jack Councell and the Sheboygan A’s on Alumni Night. The night started off with retiring the number of the late legendary manager Denny Ruh. It also included the induction of five former Blue Ribbons players and contributors such as Dick White, J.D. McKay, Terry Young, Greg Howell, and Mark Miller.
For the game itself, it started out as a pitcher’s duel with neither team able to push across any runs until the bottom of the third inning. Shortstop Griffin Summers would get the offense started for Green Bay after getting on base after being hit by a pitch. A walk of the next batter would move Summers to second where he would later score off of a Jake Petasek single followed by a throwing error. With runners on second and third, the always dangerous James Bornick would hit a long double off the wall plating one more run. A single from Matt Perry would be enough to bring Petasek home and move Bornick to third. A ground out from Ethan Habetler better would score Bornick to give the Blue Ribbons a 4-0 lead.
The previously mentioned pitcher’s duel would then continue all the way until the bottom of the 6th inning. Matt Perry would start the inning with a lead-off walk and a steal. A single from Quinn Falish would move Perry to third where he would eventually score off of a wild pitch. Up now 5-0, the Blue Ribbons would keep the offense rolling in the 7th inning scoring two more runs off of three hits. That would be the end of the scoring for both teams as the game would end in a 7-0 victory for Green Bay.
At the plate, the Blue Ribbons would tally seven runs on ten hits. James Bornick went 2-4 with a single, a double, and two runs batted in. Matt Perry reached base three times on the night while also scoring once and batting in one run. Jake Petasek also went 2-4 on the night singling twice and scoring one.
On the mound, zero runs were allowed and only two hits were given up between the two Blue Ribbons pitchers. Starter Reese Piontek went seven strong innings giving up just one hit while walking three batters and striking out five. Owen Deprez would have a nearly spotless relief appearance allowing just one hit and striking out four batters in two innings pitched.
The Blue Ribbons have now outscored the A’s 19-3 on the season and have improved to 8-8 in Wisconsin State League play. Green Bay will take a trip to Appleton on Thursday to play in a North Eastern Wisconsin Baseball League game before returning back to Joannes on Friday for an exhibition against the Manitowoc Bandits.
