West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

Tyler Eickmeyer, Marcos Cruz, and Nick Lingvay each had multi-hit games and Curt Pryal pitched 7 strong innings as the West Allis Nationals downed the Kenosha Bobcats 6-1 in the Langsdorf League Semifinals on Saturday at Zirkel Field in West Allis.   The victory earned the Nationals a return trip to the Langsdorf League Championship Series where they'll face a familiar foe - the four time defending champion Kenosha Kings.    The Kings defeated the Nationals 2 games to 1 in a hard-fought championship series last year.

The Nationals struck first with two runs in the second.   Marcos Cruz walked and Nick Lingvay singled and Jared Stengel singled them home.   The Nats tacked on two more runs in third.   Erik Martwick and Jared Fon each were each hit by pitches with one out.   Cruz then plated his first RBI of the contest, bringing in Martwick and Fon later came home on a wild pitch.

In the fourth, after walking, Adam Karas scored on a wild pitch.   Marcos Cruz closed the scoring in the sixth, knocking in Erik Martwick and providing the Nats with a comfortable cushion leading into the late innings.

Pryal was effective throughout his outing, and most effective in crisis.   His top moment came in his final inning of work.  After the Bobcats rallied to load the bases with no outs in the seventh, Pryal struck out the meat of the Bobcats order - hitters 3,4,and 5, to end the rally and close out his night.   Kyle Knaust pitched two scoreless frames to end the game.

The Championship Series begins on Tuesday night at Simmons Field in Kenosha.  First pitch is set for 7:30pm.