By: Nick Witwer
GREEN BAY, WI – The Green Bay Blue Ribbons finished up a stretch of six games in five days on Sunday at Joannes in a double header against the Burlington Barons. Game one saw a tough, heart breaking loss in extra innings after a dramatic comeback. Game two witnessed history as the Blue Ribbons pitching staff dominated.
In game 1 the Barons would score first after an error and back to back hits in the second inning. The Blue Ribbions responded immediately in the bottom of of the inning with Trent Van Ess getting things started with a lead off single. Griffin Summers would follow up the single with an rbi double to tie the game at 1. A dropped third strike and a wilp pitch later in the inning would eventually bring Summers home to give Green Bay the 2-1 lead.
The Blue Ribbons would add another run in the bottom of the fourth. An error from Burlington’s shortstop allowed Quinn Falish to get to second base. Falish would then score following a single from, third baseman, Jake Petasek.
Up 3-1 at the end of four innings played, Green Bay would find themselves down 6-3 after giving up five runs throughout the fifth and sixth innings. Needing three runs to stay alive in game one, the Blue Ribbons would get two runners on base following a one-out walk and a hit batter. This brought Van Ess back to the plate andd with a big swing on a 2-1 count, a deep home run to left field would tie up the score and send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the eight inning, the emotions of the game changed drastically as the Blue Ribbons gave u a three run home run of their own. Down three runs once again, Green Bay would get the first two batters of the inning on base. After back to back strikeouts, Bryson Webb made good contact with the ball but didn’t get enough of it as the ball stayed in play allowing the Barons to make the out and end the game 9-6.
At the plate Van Ess had a big game reaching base in all four plate appearances. He finished with a home run, a double, a single, a walk, a stolen base, and three runs batted in. On the mound, Taylor Middaugh went 5 and ⅔ innings and struck out 5 batters. Zach Lordo had another solid relief appearance allowing just one hit and striking out two batters in his 1 and ⅓ innings pitched.
In game two, Green Bay wasted no time getting out ahead. Capitalizing off mistakes made by Burlington, both Jake Petasek abd Trent Van Ess came around to score after the inning saw three walks, a hit batter, and two big errors.
The Blue Ribbons would add another run in the bottom of the third inning. James Bornick stood on second with a lead-off double. Bryson Webb would then walk and Matt Perry would hit a single to leave the bases full of Ribbons with no outs. Griffin Summers would hit into a fielders choice that allowed Bornick to cross home plate.
The three runs would be all Green Bay needed to take the win as no other runs would be scored throughout the game. Despite the low run production Jake Petasek reached base in all four plate appeaences finishing the game going 1-1 with a single, two walks, a hit by pitch, and a run scored. The middle of the line up, Webb, Perry, and Summers, all got on base twice.
On the mound, Blue Ribbons Pitchers dominated. Between the two pitchers used, only four total Barons were able to get on base. Owen Deprez got the start and the win, going six strong innings with nine strikeouts. Bret Whiffen took the mound with history on the line as he attempted to get the save. Putting down all three batter he faced, including striking out the last batter of the night, got Whiffen the save. That Save now makes Whiffen the Blue Ribbons single season and franchise leader in saves.
The Blue Ribbons will now get some much needed time off as their next game won’t be until they hit the road in Sheboygan on July 6th. They’ll then spend next weekend playing four games against Lombard before returning back to Joannes on Tuesday, July 11th, against the Menasha Macs.
