West Allis NATIONALS Baseball

The Brookfield Bulldogs showed the West Allis Nationals why they're considered one of the finest teams in the state on Tuesday at Zirkel Field.

A lineup of aggressive hitters 1-9 punched out an assortment of liners, flairs, broken-bat jobs, and infield knocks - 19 hits in total - to defeat the Nationals 9-4. 

Jim Jungbauer took the loss for the Nationals but could have fared much better if a couple of bounces had gone his way.   Jared Stengel was the offensive leader, with a homer, double and two runs scored.

The teams go back at it on Saturday at Wirth Park in Brookfield.  First pitch is 2PM.

The Nats suffered their first two losses of the season Saturday in Genoa City and both came in heartbreaking fashion.

In game one, the Nats broke a scoreless deadlock with 2 runs in the fifth inning.  With one out, Kyle Kalkopf at first and Sam Kenseth at second, Adam Karas hit a sharp grounder to first.  The first baseman attempted for the force at second, but his throw was wild and went into short left field allowing Kenseth to score and Kalkopf to advance to third.   Jim Jungbauer followed with a slow hit ball to third that scored Kalkopf.    Jungbauer knocked in Kalkopf again in the seventh to give the Nats a 3-0 lead and put them three outs from victory.

That victory appeared probable with Curt Pryal on the hill.   Pryal had cruised through the first six innings, allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks on 58 pitches.   The seventh inning was a different matter.   Genoa City rallied with a series of well-placed singles to pull within a run.  Then, with the bases loaded, Pryal appeared to get out of the jam with a soft fly to left center.   Unfortunately the soft fly had a little extra carry on it and it eluded Adam Karas, allowing the tying and winning run to score.

Game two was equally painful.   The Nats rallied from a 2-0 deficit with 4 runs in the sixth, keyed by doubles from Jared Stengal, Tom Donovan, and James Herkowski and a single from Austin James.    That lead, though, was quickly dispatched in the bottom of the inning.  Genoa City added three runs on four hits and walk to take a 5-4 lead. 

The Nats didn't go quietly in the seventh.   After Jared Stengel flew out to deep left for the second out, Tom Donovan walked.   Curt Pryal followed with his own towering fly to deep left but on this otherwise windy day, the ball did not carry and his hit was secured by the left fielder at the wall in left center to end the game.

Sam Kenseth was the tough luck loser.   Sam pitched all 6 innings, striking out 9.

Next up is another tough test for the Nationals.   Thursday night the squad faces the LOL West defending champion Brookfield Bulldogs at Zirkel Field.  

After three games on the road to start the season, the local nine welcomed the opportunity to compete on their home turf.   Buoyed by a 7 run second inning, the Nats defeated the West Allis White Sox 9-3 on Tuesday night in the Langsdorf League's opening game for 2009.

The National's second inning started quietly with Curt Pryal fouling out to the catcher.   But when Matt Soderlund followed with a line double to right center, the rally was on.   The Nats sent 14 men to the plate in the inning on 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 RE's, and one hit batter.   Jimmy Jungbauer's 2 run double was the key blow in the inning.   Kyle Kalkopf, Mike Wajerski, and Danny Putnam also added RBI's to the cause.

CJ Herrforth took it from there.   After allowing an unearned run in the first, Herrforth settled in.   On the night, CJ allowed only 2 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks while fanning 9.    Curt Pryal held the White Sox hitless over the final 4 frames while striking out 4, earning his second save of the young season in the process.

Next up is a Langsdorf League DH against the Genoa City Red Dogs.  The games will be played in Genoa City on Saturday with the first pitch for game one set at 1PM.

Matt Soderlund had 4 hits and Tom Donovan and Danny Putnam had three each as the Nationals completed a perfect Road Trip with an 8-2 victory over the defending Northeastern League champion Manitowoc Bandits.  The squad collected 16 hits in all and had scoring opportunities in 8 of the games 9 innings.

Despite the solid contact, the Nats were slow to get on the board.   After failed rallies in the first, third, fourth and fifth, the team finally broke out with a pair of runs in the sixth.  James Herkowski hit a sacrifice fly and Kyle Kalkopf's later followed with his first career hit- an RBI single to right - to give the team a 2-1 lead.   Manitowoc answered with a two-out run scoring single in the bottom half of the inning to even the score and Jungbauer departed after six strong innings, allowing only 4 hits and 1 earned run with 6 strikeouts.

In the seventh, the Nationals broke through with three more runs.  The key blow that inning was a two run double from Jared Stengel.

Danny Putnam picked up for Jungbauer from there, pitching three scoreless innings of relief for his first Nationals save.

Next up is the 2009 Langsdorf League opener.   The Nats and crosstown rival White Sox square off on Tuesday at 7:30pm at Zirkel Field.   CJ Herrforth will make his 2009 deput on the hill.

Led by the strong pitching efforts of Sam Kenseth, George James, and Curt Pryal, the West Allis Nationals defeated the Menasha Macs 3-0 Friday night in Menasha.

Kenseth logged six scoreless innings, picking up his second win of the young season, before giving way to James in the seventh inning.   Pryal pitched the ninth for his first save of the year.

Dan Putnam led the offense with 2 hits and an RBI.   Curt Pryal and Austin James also knocked in runs as the Nats made the most of their 6 hits.

Next up are the Manitowoc Bandits Saturday afternoon at 1PM in Manitowoc.   Jim Jungbauer will toe the rubber in his second start of the year.