Fisk’s pitching gem against Brown Deer keeps Grafton baseball team flying high in early season

His baseball team unleashed a nine-run inning to score its fourth win of the season, but Grafton’s Conor Fisk stole the show last Saturday.

The senior right-hander pitched a five-inning perfect game for the host Black Hawks, who rolled past Brown Deer, 10-0, in nonconference play.

“It was one of those games you just don’t get to see very often,” Grafton coach Brian Durst said. “Conor was just so dominant.”

Fisk, who has made a strong recovery after missing most of last season due to a shoulder injury, struck out 12 of the 15 batters he faced on the way to his first varsity no-hitter. The only three Brown Deer hitters who put the ball in play were retired on grounders in the second and third innings.

“Conor had an overpowering fastball, but he made all his pitches work,” Durst said. “He used his breaking pitches to stay ahead of the hitters.”
Fisk threw 61 pitches and struck out the side in the first, fourth and fifth innings —  after which the Hawks sealed the win on the mercy rule by scoring nine times in the bottom of the fifth.

Grafton sent 11 batters to the plate and had six hits during the final inning, capped by Ryan Hartwig’s two-run triple.

“It was very exciting,” Durst said. “We stranded a lot of runners early in the game (seven through the first three innings), but we continued to be patient at the plate and it paid off.”

Although most of the Hawks didn’t have to do much on defense, the one exception was catcher Skyler Bohn. The senior helped preserve Fisk’s gem by blocking a pair of third strikes. Bohn completed one out by tagging the batter and threw the other out at first base.

Before Grafton’s fateful fifth, the game was somewhat of a mound duel. Fisk squared off against a pair of Brown Deer pitchers, who held the Hawks to one run through four innings.

Dylan Mayer led Grafton’s 11 hits with a 3-for-3 performance, scored one run and drove in one. Al Nennig was 2-for-3, and C.J. Koehler was 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and an RBI.

The win improved Grafton’s season record to 4-1. Brown Deer fell to 3-2.

Muskego 10, Grafton 1

The Hawks fell behind early and couldn’t keep pace with the state’s No. 2-ranked team in a nonconference road loss May 27.

Grafton rallied for a 1-1 tie in the top of the third, but the Warriors pulled away by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning and four more in the fourth.

“We knew it would be a great early-season test for us,” said Durst, whose team was handed its first loss in four games. “They were the state runner-up last year and have just about everyone back.”

The Hawks scored when Robbie Doring’s groundout drove in courtesy runner Joe Ritonia from third base. Ritonia ran for Bohn — who started the rally with a single — and moved to third on a single by Koehler.

Muskego outhit Grafton, 14-6. The Warriors were led by Sam Hammer, who went 4-for-4 with two RBI.

Bohn was 2-for-3.

Koehler pitched the first four innings, allowing five earned runs before being relieved by Doring.

“They both did good jobs,” Durst said. “C.J. had good command of all his pitches. We didn’t play very good defense behind him in the fourth.”
Grafton 5, Sheboygan Falls 4

A two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the host Hawks the final word in a seesaw nonconference game May 25.

Grafton took a 3-1 lead into the top of the seventh only to have Sheboygan Falls score three times. The Falcons had just one hit in the inning but cashed in on three walks and an error.

However, the Hawks quickly regrouped. Ryan Donahue ignited the comeback with a pinch-hit single and moved to second when Hartwig drew a one-one walk.

After Kevin Scholz singled home Donahue to tie the game, Sam Birch drove in Hartwig with a sacrifice fly.

Grafton outhit the Falcons, 11-3.

Doring, Hartwig, Scholz and Bohn each had two hits, and Hartwig scored three times.

Bohn picked up the win in relief. Fisk started for the Hawks, allowing one run and striking out 12 in five innings.

This week, Grafton was scheduled to open North Shore Conference play Tuesday against Port Washington. The Hawks will play 5:30 p.m. games on the road against Nicolet on Thursday and at home against Cedarburg on Friday.

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