Superlative Pitching Nets A’s 5-3 Win

Defensive blunders dug a 3-0 hole for the Sheboygan A’s
Friday night against West Allis but it was backfilled by superlative pitching and
patient at bats. When it was over, the
A’s were 5-3 winners.

The
visiting Nationals took that 3-zip lead when the A’s committed four errors in
the first four innings, but Eric Schmitz, the A’s savvy ace righthander, would
have nothing to do with the prospect of losing the Wisconsin State League
opener.

After
Matt Richter doubled in the run that made it 3-0 for West Allis, Schmitz bore down
and retired 12 of the next 14 hitters to give the A’s a chance at victory.

The
chance materialized in the fifth inning when Carter Amundsen doubled, Wyatt
Olson singled and Taylor Grimm knocked them both in with a screaming double to the
left field corner. Eventually Grimm would score on Adam Ryan’s ground out to
tie the game at three.

The A’s
scored the two winning runs in the seventh on walks and hit batsman when plate
discipline brought about wildness.  The West Allis pitching trio of
Pryal-Woods-Tindall combined for four walks, four it batsmen and two wild
pitches to help the A’s cause.

AJ
Alessi got the save for the A’s, retiring the last six Nationals hitters in
order.

In his
seven innings Schmitt struck out nine, didn’t walk anybody and gave up three
hits and only one earned n.

Now 2-0
for the season the A’s are off until they play host to Plymouth Wednesday in
Plymouth Dirt Track Night and Wing Wednesday presented by Legend Larry’s. track night.