Determined rally can’t save Port baseball team from extra-inning defeat
Overtime didn’t pay for the Port Washington High School baseball team last Friday.
Despite battling back from an early deficit and giving Cedarburg all it could handle, the Pirates were left with a 10-5 defeat in a 12-inning North Shore Conference tussle.
After Port scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, the game remained deadlocked at 5-5 until the 12th. The Bulldogs then broke through with a decisive five-run rally.
“It was a tough loss, but I was really proud of the way our guys hung in there,” Port coach Nicholas Wycklendt said.
“There were some real positives for us even though it didn’t end up our way.”
The defeat was Port’s third in as many conference games last week, coming on the heels of losses to West Bend West and Whitefish Bay.
Cedarburg held a 4-0 lead after three innings, but the Pirates answered with a run in the fourth and three more in the fourth.
The Bulldogs took a 5-4 lead in the sixth before Port countered in the seventh.
In the bottom of the 11th, the Pirates were poised to pull out a win. With Nick Godersky on third base, Wycklendt called for a suicide squeeze by Derek Haley.
When the pitch skipped past the catcher without Haley connecting, Godersky tried to score but was called out on a close play at the plate.
“We had a chance to score, and it looked like Nick was safe,” Wycklendt said. “But the umpire made the call, and that’s just part of the game you have to accept.”
Cedarburg outhit the Pirates, 11-9, led by Taylor Piel’s 4-for-5 effort. Piel drove in four runs.
Port was led by Aaron Brockman, who was 3-for-5. Taylor Devenport was 1-for-2 with two RBI.
The loss went to reliever Mitch Bartlein, one of five Port pitchers in the game.
Port fell to 0-3 in NSC play and 2-4 overall.
West Bend West 8, Port Washington 0
The Pirates managed only two hits in a conference road loss May 31.
West held a 3-0 lead after four innings before breaking things open with a four-run fifth.
“We stayed close with them early but couldn’t string any hits together,” Wycklendt said. “We also didn’t help ourselves on defense.”
Port committed three errors that led to five unearned runs.
Starter Joe Stubbe pitched the first five innings for West, striking out seven and walking none.
Mat Rychtik, Nick Albrecht and Stubbe each had two hits for the Spartans.
Whitefish Bay 4, Port Washington 2
The host Pirates fell behind, 4-1, in the third inning and couldn’t recover May 29.
Port scored single runs in the second and fourth but managed only four hits for the game.
“We played really well, but we couldn’t take advantage of our scoring opportunities,” said Wycklendt, noting the Pirates left the bases loaded in two innings.
Godersky went 2-for-3 and pitched three innings of shutout relief. Haley worked the first four innings and took the loss.
This week, Port faced Slinger on Monday (see related story) and will host 5:30 p.m. games against Homestead on Thursday and South Milwaukee on Friday.
The Pirates will then play 5:30 p.m. games at home against Grafton on June 11 and at Nicolet on June 12.
Image Information: A LONG STRETCH helped Port Washington first baseman Max Kaske retire a Whitefish Bay batter during a North Shore Conference game May 27. Bay held on for a 4-2 win, handing the Pirates the first of three league losses last week. Photo by Sam Arendt
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
