GREEN BAY, Wis. (Indiana Schilz) – The Green Bay Blue Ribbons, in a display of collective effort and team spirit, had an offensive showcase on Saturday, sweeping both games of the doubleheader against the West Allis Nationals.
In game one, it was a pitching duel until the sixth inning, where Green Bay put up six runs, including a two-run home run from James Bornick.
Payton Kohnle, a standout in the first game, showcased his skills at the dish, going 2-4 with 2 RBIs, a performance that the team and fans can be proud of.
Allen Leitner got the start for the Blue Ribbons in game one and threw a solid outing. He allowed five hits and one run over five innings, striking out four and walking one.
Ian Dohms shut down the rest of the game in relief, pitching two innings without allowing a run. He gave up one hit, struck out one, and walked two en route to a 6-1 victory.
Game two saw the bats explode, with every player in the lineup adding at least one hit to the 14 total.
Bornick got things going, picking up right where he left off with an RBI single in the top of the first inning. West Allis tied the game at one in the bottom of the first and eventually took the lead in the third after an RBI double.
Left fielder Brendan Willadsen came through with one of the biggest at-bats of the game in the top of the fourth inning, smashing a bases-clearing double to give the Blue Ribbons a 4-2 lead.
West Allis threw a haymaker of their own in the bottom of the fourth, equalizing Green Bay’s three-run top half, giving them a 5-4 lead.
But the top of the seventh saw an offense explosion with RBI singles from Eason Hurd, Bryan Gerbers, Cal Casper, Jake Petasek, and Kohnle. Brady LaViolette also doubled, scoring a run to give the Blue Ribbons the lead and winning 10-5 after a six-run seventh.
Kaden Krueger began the game on the mound for Green Bay, giving up nine hits and five runs (three earned) over five innings. Krueger struck out five and walked zero.
Austin Grube pitched two innings of no-run ball in relief and gave up only one hit while striking out one.
The Green Bay Blue Ribbons travel to Sheboygan on Sunday for a doubleheader against the A’s. The first pitch is tentatively scheduled for 1:00 and 3:30 p.m.
