JOHNSON CREEK — The Wisconsin Cheese Kings went into the the top of seventh against the Johnson Creek Mapaches down 5-3 but left it 6-5 and won by that same score in second game of a doubleheader in Dairyland Collegiate League baseball Sunday at FiremanÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Park.
After getting on base with a single, David Distefano scored on an error. A double by Brandon North scored a run, and North was eventually driven in by Garrett Guenther giving the Cheese Kings the lead for good..
“Proud of our guys for not giving up, battling their (tails) off,†Cheese Kings coach Luke Schultz said, “and coming away with one. It could have been really easy when we were down 5-3 to just hang it up. To score three was big.â€
In the next half inning, the Cheese Kings used a double play to help get out of the inning.
Bryce Ewing got the start for Wisconsin, going 3.1 innings and allowing three hits, three earned runs, while securing two strikeouts to one walk.
Michael Zink pitched the final two innings and allowing just one run.
“I also want to give Zink a lot of credit,†Schultz said. “HeÃÛèÖÊÓƵ had two really tough outings and for him to come out and get the was huge for his confidence.â€
Guenther went 2-for-4 at the plate, drove in two runs and scored a run for the Cheese Kings.
“It just seems like lately we score a lot early in the game and then we don’t score again. So it felt good to put runs on the board and put them away,†Schultz said.
The Mapaches took the first contest 13-3, and like Schultz referred to, the team struggled to score often.
In that game, it was the Cheese Kings that struck first, scoring three runs in the second inning. Charlie Claas and Distefano provided an RBI each and Distefano scored on a wild pitch.
The rest of the game belonged to Johnson Creek. The Mapaches scored seven in the fourth and five in the fifth en route to the game 1 win.
Henry Bishop got the start for Wisconsin, going three inning and allowing seven hits and six earned runs, while issuing one strikeout and two walks.
“The first game, it came down to we have to pitch better,†Schultz said. “We didn’t have a bad start from Henry Bishop, tt wasn’t his best. I think he’d say the same.â€
As for the rest of the pitchers that saw action in the first game, Schultz said they’re young guys that are still learning how to pitch against college hitters.
The Cheese Kings (4-7) get back at it Tuesday at 4 p.m. when Johnson Creek comes to the Janesville Youth Sports Complex.
JOHNSON CREEK 13, WISCONSIN 3 (Game 1)
Wisconsin 030 000 0 — 3 9 3
Johnson Creek 010 705 X — 13 11 0
Leading hitters—Vernon (JC) 3x4, Turner 2x4 (JC), Kibler (JC) 2x2, North (W) 2x2, Giddley (W) 2x3. 2B—North (W), Distefano (W).
