HUSTISFORD 鈥 Things were beginning to look somewhat ominous going into the late innings Sunday at Village Park, and it extended beyond the dark clouds and a chilly breeze that rolled into the area.
Thiensville-Mequon had danced around trouble for the first six innings of the contest and held a 5-0 lead over Hustisford in a Rock River League baseball game. The Astros had placed a runner on base in each frame despite the Twins building their advantage, but the home team began to cash in over the final three stanzas.
Hustisford plated a run in the seventh, three in the eighth and two in the final inning to earn a 6-5 walkoff win.
"We didn鈥檛 do enough to win the game," Twins manager Greg Ebbert said. "That鈥檚 what it got down to, in all ways, offensively, defensively and on the mound."
The top half of the sixth and seventh innings were a prime example, according to the skipper. The Twins managed three runs between the two frames, but that total could have been larger.
In the sixth, Thiensville-Mequon plated a pair of runs then loaded the bases with one out, but could not tack on anything else to what had become a 4-0 lead. In the next stanza, the leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch but erased on a double play. The visitors would follow with two singles, a walk and a hit by pitch to score an insurance run to go up 5-0, but the club was unable to produce a timely hit that may have broken the game wide open.
"Basically, we were in control of the game. We needed more runs. We knew that. We left the bases loaded twice," Ebbert said. "We had to get some more. We came up with one or two runs instead of several."
Another example of that came in the eighth. After the Astros scored to move within 5-1, Alec Tomkiewicz led off the inning with a single and Jerome Pawlak sacrificed him to second base, but he was stranded there.
"We need more guys to be hitting more often. In key situations we鈥檙e just not getting enough base hits or making the other team make hard plays,鈥 Ebbert said.
Meanwhile, while Hustisford was able to limit the damage and remain within striking distance in the top half of innings, the Astros鈥 offense began to cash in during the bottom of the frames.
The first sign of trouble for the visitors came in the seventh, when Daniel Janiszewski hit a leadoff single and took second on an error. Twins pitcher Cade Berendt nearly worked out of the jam by getting the next two batters out, but Aaron Roeseler put the home side on the scoreboard with a single that drove in an unearned run.
The Astros produced all of their runs in the game with two outs. In the eighth, Nolan Boettcher got a rally started with a two-out double. Deven Michalak then reached on a sharp shot to third base, Janiszewski got on when he hit a dribbler that resulted in a run-scoring error on the throw to first and Sam Roeseler followed with a two-run double to pull the home side within 5-4.
Thiensville-Mequon was retired in order in the top of the ninth. The bottom of the inning began with a single and a sacrifice bunt. Twins shortstop Jon Wizner then made a key play to record an out on a ball hit up the middle, leaving the Astros with two outs and the potential tying run on third.
鈥淲iz is a very good ballplayer, both offensively and defensively,鈥 Ebbert said. 鈥淗e made a heck of a play.鈥
Griff Lietzau proceeded to tie the game with a double to the gap in left-center field, then Tanner Galeazzi singled home the winning run.
It was a tough loss for a club that never trailed until the end.
The visitors took the lead in the second inning, when Ryan Quello drew a one-out walk to start a rally and catcher Vince Cameranesi followed with a run-scoring triple. Tomkiewicz then hit a sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, the Twins put together a rally started with a leadoff double by Jimmy Doedens. Cole Hessler then hit a single to move the center fielder to third. Luke Scheuerlein followed with a comebacker to the mound, which would start an adventurous trip around the bases for Hessler. The throw was in the dirt and everybody was safe, allowing Doedens to score. Quello then dropped down a sacrifice bunt. The Astros pitcher made a wild throw after fielding the bunt, which allowed Hessler to score. However, Hustisford went to the bullpen and Austin Massey extinguished the rally by retiring the next two batters.
The Twins tallied again in the seventh. The rally started with a two-out walk drawn by Wizner. Hessler then hit a single, Scheuerlein was hit by a pitch and Quello smacked a run-scoring single to left. However, that would prove to the final run of the day for the visitors.
Thiensville-Mequon is 5-6 in division play and needs to secure one of the top four spots in the standings to qualify for the playoffs. Hustisford (5-6), Oakfield (4-6) and Brownsville (4-7) are in a race for two remaining postseason invitations, behind Hartford (9-0) and Kewaskum (10-1).
鈥淲e have Saukville on Wednesday at home,鈥 Ebbert said about the schedule ahead, noting that first pitch at Rennicke Field is slated for 8 p.m. 鈥淪unday it鈥檚 Oakfield at home and then the Friday after we have Hartford at Hartford.鈥