West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

The Wisconsin State League announced Tuesday its post season award winners for 2015 and 4 members of the West Allis Nationals were honored.

Named 1st Team Pitcher was Cody Griebling.   Griebling was 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA in 2015.   He struck out 34 and walked only 7 in 30 innings of work.

Named to the 2nd Team were Nick Schmidlekofer - 1B, Kyle Kalkopf - 2B, and Matt Richer - C.  

Schmidlekofer hit .417 with a .517 OB%.  He scored 12 runs and knocked in 10.  

Kalkopf hit .284 with a .429 OB%.  He scored 19 runs, knocked in 14, and stole 9 bases.

Richer hit .330 with a .429 OB%.  He scored 22 runs, knocked in 19, stole 6 bases, and was 2nd in the league with 9 doubles.

Jonah Meidl finished 5th in Rookie of the Year voting.   Meidl hit .250 with a .480 OB%.  He scored 12 runs and stole 5 bases.

In a related announcement, WSL managers confirmed that Huntzy is horrible. 

Game Two of the Wisconsin State League Championship Series shaped up early to be a pitchers' duel.  Lombard's Andrew Mamlic and the Nat's Cody Griebling both cruised through three scoreless frames.

In the fourth, though, the Nats opened with consecutive singles by Matt Richer and Nick Schmidlkofer and each advanced on a passed ball to put runners on the corners with no one out.  The next hitter, Max Widmar, fought of multiple pitches in a 9 pitch at bat before lining one through the box for what appeared to be a run scoring single.  Mamlic had other ideas, however.  He deftly snared the liner and the runners held.  A short fly to center and liner to second followed, failing to plate either run and ending a promising rally.

The champion Orioles responded in the manner expected of a champion, taking that momentum and generating two runs with two outs in the bottom half of the frame.  Series MVP Marcus Pingleton (5 hits - including a double, 2 triples, and HR) hit a drive to right center that carried and just cleared the wall over Huntzinger's glove for an HR.  Colin Holderman and Anthony Drago followed with back-to-back doubles to put Lombard up 2-0.

The Nationals responded in their half of the fifth with 2 runs to tie the score.  Chad Tindall walked, and Kyle Kalkopf and Brian Huntzinger singled to load the bases with one out. Matt Richer followed with a single for one RBI and Nick Schmidlkofer hit a sac fly to tie the score at two.   After an intentional walk to Max Widmar, Jake Kolasinski followed with what appeared to be a game changing grand slam to left.  Unfortunately for the Nats, the wind currents that carried Pingleton's drive a half inning earlier knocked down Kolasinski's drive and Alex Troop gloved it over the shoulder on the warning track to end the inning.

The game was quiet until the 7th when Lombard added a run on a scoring single by Keith Browning.  Lombard then chased Griebling in the 8th when Pingleton doubled home Tutland and Jeff Schubert hit a sac fly.

The Natties didn't go quietly in the ninth.  Down 5-2, Brian Huntzinger doubled to right center and Matt Richer followed with a ground rule double to right to make the score 5-3.  Nick Schmidlekofer followed with a single to put runners on the corners, but that would be as far as Lombard would allow the Nats to go.   Max Widmar hit a liner up the middle that was gloved by the SS who easily converted it into a game ending double play.

The Nationals 2015 season ends at 20-9 overall with Wisconsin State League North Division and Langsdorf Nite League Championships to their claim and a runner up finish in the Wisconsin Amateur Baseball Classic.

Alex Troop's two out grand slam in the eighth broke open a 4-2 game, helping lift Lombard to a 10-2 victory over the West Allis Nationals in game one of the Wisconsin State League Championship Series at Harvey Keunn Field in West Allis. 

Bobby Beelen pitched the first seven innings for Lombard to earn the victory.  Beelin allowed only 4 hits while striking out seven.

The Nationals had a short-lived 2-1 lead after four innings.  Brian Huntzinger scored from second on a fielder's choice and Jake Kolasinski knocked in Matt Richer with a double.

Lombard responded immediately in the top of the fifth.   After two walks to start the inning, Tom Long doubled both runners home with a drive to left center field giving Lombard a 3-2 lead.

Lombard added on to that lead in the seventh on a Troop two out double.   Troop finished with 5 RBI on the night.

The two teams square off again today in Lombard, Illinois.   First pitch for game two is set for 4pm.   Should a deciding game three be needed, it will be played immediately after the conclusion of game two.

The West Allis Nationals came up short in their bid to add a WABC championship to their 2015 resume, falling to the Pewaukee Muskies 10-1 on Sunday afternoon.  The loss followed a Sunday morning 5-3 semi-final win over the Lannon Stonemen.

An uncharacteristic defense lapse doomed the Nationals in the championship game.  Pewaukee scored three unearned runs in the third inning and never looked back.

The Nationals ended the 2015 regular season with a 20-7 record and both Wisconsin State League Northern Division and Langsdorf Nite League championships.

Next up for the Nationals are the Lombard Orioles in the Wisconsin State League Championship Series.   The Nationals will host game 1 on Friday night July 24 at Harvey Kuenn Field at Rainbow Park in West Allis at 8pm. Game 2 (and 3, if necessary) will be in Lombard on Saturday July 25.  First pitch is set for 4pm.   10 time defending champion Lombard enters the series with a 32-11 record and ownership of both 2015 Wisconsin State League Southern Division and Regular Season championships.