West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

Prepare for Tuesday. That is the only solace the team has after a tough 5-4 loss in game two of Saturday's doubleheader set the stage for a deciding third game in the semifinal round of the Milwaukee Independent League playoffs. With two outs and James Herkowski at the plate, Erik Dunn was picked off first base...allegedly. The successful pickoff had been preceded a play earlier by a similar pickoff attempt. After receiving grief from the Kingpins bench on his first safe call, the umpire responded with a blatent and delayed "make up" call, thumbing Dunn, and ending a furious seventh inning rally one run short. Trevor Koepp's RBI triple and Dunn's RBI single were wasted and the team was left to wonder what could have been. Game one was a different story. The Nationals jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning on a run scoring single by James Herkowski, RBI double by Brian Gibson, and RBI triple by Jason Koconis. That offense proved to be more than adequate as staff ace, Joe Kissler, neutralized the potent Kingpin offense. The only blemish on Kissler's scorecard was a third inning tally as the Nationals cruised to a 6-1 victory in the opening game. The Kingpins struck first in the second game, scoring once in the third to take a 1-0 lead. The Nationals responded, though, in the top of the fourth. After an Erik Dunn walk and seeing-eye single by Herkowski, Tom Donovan struck a ground ball between third and short. Dunn scored to tie the game. Solid execution game the Nationals the lead in the fifth. Mike Wajerski legged out a bunt single and was sacrificed to second. After Alex Franson reached on an error, Trevor Koepp fisted a bloop single to right field, scoring Wajerski and putting the Nationals up 2-1. That lead lasted until the bottom of the sixth. Starting pitcher Tim Spata allowed consecutive singles and began losing command. After a successful sacrifice bunt, the Kingpins squared the game at two. Several walks and a wild pitch later, the Kingpins had taken a 5-2 lead and were three outs away from victory. Unfortunately for the Nationals, they were only required to earn two of them. Tuesday night's elimination game versus the Kingpins begins at 7PM at Zirkel Field in McCarty Park. The winner advances the Milwaukee Independent League Championship Series. That series begins on Saturday with a 6PM doubleheader at Zirkel Field in McCarty Park.