Green Bay improved their overall record to 4-2 on the season, with an 11-8 win over West Allis in the first game of the Wisconsin State League’s Fifth Game Challenge.
The Blue Ribbons grabbed an early lead with a run in the first and two more in the second, then made it 4-0 in the third when Jake Petasek ripped a single to center to drive in Brendan Willadsen.
After the Nationals got on the board with a run in their half of the third, Green Bay answered right back, loading the bases for catcher Brady LaViolette, who promptly blasted the team’s first home run of the season. LaViolette’s grand slam extended the Ribbons’ lead to 8-1 before the rain really started coming down, prompting a lengthy delay.
When play resumed, West Allis tallied a run in the fifth, but the Blue Ribbons answered back with three in the top of the sixth, with Petasek driving in Griffin Summers and Ashton Long to make it 11-2.
The Nationals tried to make a game of it, putting up six runs in the bottom half of the sixth, thanks to a pair of missed calls at the plate, which gave West Allis five outs in the inning.
The big inning closed the gap to 11-8, but that would be as close as the Nats would get, as Reece Piontek came on to close out the game, and quickly slammed the door shut, needing just five pitches to lock down the victory.
Saturday’s second game, which was scheduled to be played against the Kenosha Kings, was postponed due to unplayable field conditions. The Blue Ribbons return to Sheboygan on Sunday for games against the Lombard Orioles and the Addison Braves, with the first contest scheduled for a noon start.
