West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

Overcoming a slow, and potentially disasterous, start, the West Allis Nationals battled valienty to earn the Langsdorf League Title on Tuesday night. After falling behind 3-0, the squad hammered home 9 unanswered runs en route to a 9-5 victory. The championship over the Angels served as sweet redemption. The Angels defeated the Nationals 3-2 in game three of the 2003 Championship Series. James Herkowski started the Nationals comeback with a single in the bottom of the second inning. After Steve Schulte reached on an error, Mike Wajerski singled to load the bases. The next hitter, Kellen Haynes, battled Angels starting pitcher, Aaron Martinez, through a 7 pitch at bat before lining a shot to the gap in left center field. Herkowski and Schulte scored easily, and when Haynes induced a rundown between first and second, Wajerski took off for the plate and scored a third run to tie the game. The team kept the pressure on in the third. By maintaining a deliberate and patient plate approach, Martinez pitch count climbed. Having pitched 7 innings just two days earlier, he began to wear. With two outs, Jared Stengal singled and Alex Franson drew a 6 pitch walk. James Herkowski then came through with a clutch 0-2 single to right, scoring Stengal. The next batter, Steve Schulte, hit a chopper to third that was misplayed, allowing a second run to score in the inning. Up 5-3, starter Corey Berndsen began to settle down. He held the Angels scoreless in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings with the help of two double plays. The game was broken open in the fifth when the Nationals pushed three more runs across. Jared Stengal led off with a double and scored on an Alex Franson single. After a four pitch walk to James Herkowski, Steve Schulte laid down an 0-1 sacrifice bunt. Though fielded cleanly by Martinez, his throw sailed into right field scoring Franson. Schulte scored the final run of the inning on another Angel miscue. Catcher Trevor Koepp attempted a pick off throw to third which flew into left field. An insurance run was added in the sixth. Mike Wajerski hit a weak ground ball with two outs and the bases loaded that was kicked by the shortstop. After allowing a two run Angel comeback in the seventh, Corey Berndsen gave way to Curt Pryal. Pryal pitched two scoreless innings to close the game. The victory earns the Nationals a berth in the Wisconsin State League tournament this weekend in Manitowoc. They will play games against Appleton (10am) and Janesville (12pm) on Saturday and Sheboygan (12pm) on Sunday. Should the team win the majority of its games in this "Pool" play, it will play for the championship at 4pm.