West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

The Nationals perservered Thursday evening at beautiful Zirkel Field, pushing 7 tallies across the dish in their final two at bats to take a 9-5 decision from the Burlington Barons.

It was a tale of two games.   The early innings were controlled by the Barons, who scored a total of 5 runs in the games first four innings to take a 5-1 lead.

After that point, Nationals starting pitcher Mitch Lochen settled in.  Lochen retired 13 of 15 hitters in innings 5 through 8, striking out 7, and kept the team in the game allowing for the late inning outburst.

Down 5 - 2 going to the bottom of the seventh, Kyle Kalkopf led off with a double.  Joe Sturino then reached on an error, with Kalkopf scoring.  With one out, Jake Kolasinski singled home Sturino, the third hit of his four hit/four RBI night.  After a Shey Smith single, Mike Merritt grounded out scored Kosalinski to tie the game.  That set the stage for Curt Pryal, whose Miller High Life oppo single brought home Smith with the sixth run of the contest.

3 insurance runs were added in the 8th.  Matt Richer's single off the wall scored Brian Huntzinger and Kosalinski's double scored Kalkopf and Sturino.   Reliever Jack Wagoner held off the Barons with 2 strikeouts in the ninth to end the game.

Next up are the Northern Illinois Legends at the College of Lake County in Grayslake Illinois.   The first game of the DH begins at 1pm.