West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

The 2002 Nationals came up one game short of a third consecutive Milwaukee County championship, losing the deciding game of a three game series 12-2. The Nationals finished the season with a 15-5 league record and 20-10 overall. Team MVP: Chris Marks Harvey Kuenn Batting Award: Trevor Koepp Dave Kuhnke Pitching Award: Nick Kibler Jeff Neibauer Spirit Award: Jake Koutnik Veteran of the Year: Chris Marks

The Nationals concluded another successful season yesterday with the traditional year end golf outing and award ceremony. The results of this year's votes are as follows: MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Chris Marks #8 HARVEY KUENN BATTING AWARD: Trevor Koepp #27 DAVE KUHNKE PITCHING AWARD: Jim Dettman #1 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jake Paige #24 VETERAN OF THE YEAR: Chris Marks #8 JEFF NEIBAUER SPIRIT AWARD: Tim Spata #18 Laura Zimmer LEAGUE BATTING CHAMPION: Jake Paige #24 Congratulations to all on another successful season! ...THE WINNING TRADITION CONTINUES...

The West Allis Nationals concluded their season Sunday night with a disappointing 12-2 loss in the Milwaukee County Minor League Championship game. In uncharacteristic fashion, the team gave the Cubs 7 unearned runs in the second inning and were never able to climb out of the hole. Despite rallies in each inning, the team failed to produce the timely hits that had been its trademark all year. 13 baserunners were stranded in the 7 inning affair. Though the score was lopsided it was somewhat misleading. Alex Franson effectively controlled the Cubs' offense for 5 innings mixing a slurve, change, and fastball. Had the team not committed two costly errors in the 7 run second, Franson would have been in position for the victory in his first start on the hill in a Nationals uniform. On offense, James Herkowski led the team with two hits. Jake Koutnik added a double and scored on a Joe Reisinger single in the second. After the tally the team was held scoreless until Chris Marks hit a solo homer in the seventh. The homer was Marks' third of the playoffs and sixth of the season. The Nationals completed their 27th season with a 20-10 mark, the team's third consecutive 20 victory season.

Milwaukee County Semifinals SATURDAY NIGHT AUGUST 10 Joey's Mob Scene/Milwaukee Angels 3,6 WEST ALLIS NATIONALS 4,16 Cubs 10,10 King Pins 15,3 SUNDAY NIGHT AUGUST 11 Cubs 18 vs King Pins 7 Milwaukee County Championship SATURDAY NIGHT AUGUST 17 WEST ALLIS NATIONALS 3 Cubs 9 Cubs 4 WEST ALLIS NATIONALS 8 SUNDAY NIGHT AUGUST 18 Cubs 12 WEST ALLIS NATIONALS 2

The Nationals and Cubs split the first two games of the Milwaukee County championship series on Saturday night. The Cubs took the opener 9-3, but the Nationals stormed back to take the nightcap by a score of 8-4. Though the Nationals managed 12 hits in game one, they failed to string them together. That fact, coupled with the opponents' solid defense, led to the opening game defeat. The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single by Mike Wajerski. True to form, the Cubs matched it with a tally in the bottom half of the inning. After an RBI single by James Herkowski scored Jake Paige in the third, the Cubs scored twice to take a 3-2 lead. Joe Reisinger's RBI in the fourth scored Jake Koutnik to tie the game until the Cubs took the lead back with two in the fifth. The game, though, was decided in the sixth inning. The Cubs put the game away with 4 runs on three hits, three walks, and an untimely throwing error. When the dust cleared, the Cubs had a commanding 9-3 lead. Nick Kibler picked the team up in game two, pitching a complete game, eight hitter. Kibler kept the Cubs off balance with a hard slider and tailing fastball, giving the offense a chance to redeem itself. Down 2-0 in the third, the Nationals scored three runs on 5 hits, chasing the Cubs starting pitcher from the game. After an RBI single from Alex Franson, the Nationals scored twice. With Franson at third and Herkowski at second after a double, the Cubs' starter unleashed a wild pitch. Franson scored followed by Herkowski, who alertly took the plate from second after the catcher's throw to the pitcher covering the plate got past him to the middle of the infield. The Nationals added two more in the fourth. Jake Koutnik led off the inning with a home run and Mike Wajerski scored from first after a stealing second and advancing two more bases on a throw into short center field. Chris Marks' two run homer in the fifth made the score 7-2 and the team was on its way to a series split and deciding third game. Tonight's championship game begins a 7PM at Zirkel Field.