Green Bay traveled to Illinois over the weekend for a four-game series against the Wisconsin State League champion Lombard Orioles.
In game one on Saturday, Lombard grabbed an early lead with a run in the first, and after tacking on another in the fifth, they carried a 2-0 lead into the final frame.
The Blue Ribbons would not go down quietly however, as they rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game on a Garrett Foth single that scored James Bornick.
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be quite enough, as the Orioles scored a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with a 3-2 win.
Game two saw a bit more offense, with the Ribbons plating three runs in the second inning on a bases loaded double from Landen Lozier that put Green Bay up 3-1.
The contest would go back-and-forth from there, with Lombard fighting back and answering each Blue Ribbons run with one of their own.
Tied at 4-4 in the seventh, the Ribbons scored a pair on RBI singles from Trent Van Ess and Bornick, but they couldn’t close out the Orioles, as Lombard responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
The game would go to extras, and finally in the tenth inning, Brendan Willadsen would drive in Steven Russell to give Green Bay another lead at 7-6. Zach Lordo made sure the Orioles had no answer this time, as the right-hander continued his season-long dominance, with his third scoreless inning to secure the victory, snapping a 34-game losing streak against Lombard.
Sunday started off a little bit rough, as the Green Bay bats took a while to get going, managing to scrape out just four hits in game one.
Lombard scored three in the third, two in the fourth and two more in the fifth, grabbing a 7-0 lead, and the Blue Ribbons would have no answer.
Taylor Middaugh got the start and went 4.1 innings, before giving way to Tanner Alsteen.
Willadsen, Lozier, Van Ess and Brett Ament each contributed a single for the only Green Bay offense.
Game two went much better for the Ribbons, with Bret Whiffen turning in a superb start, as the right-hander went six innings, allowing just one run.
Green Bay got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, with a bases loaded walk to Foth that scored Van Ess, and a squeeze bunt from Tyler Blum that brought home Bornick.
The Orioles clawed back with a run in their half of the inning, but the Blue Ribbons tacked on an insurance run in the seventh.
Jared Hanson came on in relief of Whiffen, and allowed one run, but stranded the bases loaded to lock down the win as Green Bay improved their overall record to 18-14 on the season.
