Port baseball builds momentum for second half

The Port Washington High School baseball team has handled the best of the Big East Conference this season.

The Pirates on Monday used a 12-run fouth inning to hand Random Lake its first loss of the season, 20-5, in five innings.

“They came out strong,” Port coach Zach Perkins said of the Rams. “We put a zero up in the first inning and they hit a two-run bomb the second batter of the game.”

Port answered with a four-run second inning and held the Rams scoreless three of the next four frames.

O’Neil Wright went 3-for-3 with a home run – a laser to right field, Perkins said – a double, three RBIs and two walks. Dawson Dinkel was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs. Jack Bunyan was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Austin Johnson was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Max Webb was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Carson Hill was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Port had 17 hits and 17 walks. Twelve Pirates had at least one walk.

On the mound, Grant Eslinger went four innings, allowing six hits, five runs and five walks while striking out three. Cash Didier relieved, allowing a hit in a scoreless inning.

“Grant did a good job fighting through some stuff,” Perkins said. “Cash did a good job in the end throwing strikes again.”

The Rams came in ranked third in the Division 3 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association rankings. On April 11, Port won, 4-2, Cedar Grove-Belgium, which is ranked sixth in Division 3.

“We definitely have some confidence going forward,” Perkins said. “We talked about this being the start of the second half for us. We have the chance to do something very special.”

Pirates start last week strong

Port won at Brookfield Central, 6-1, on April 28. Sam Thompson threw his second straight complete game, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out eight.

“He’s been fantastic. His ERA right now is 1.1,” Perkins said.

The Lancers’ lefty Colton Semmelmann, who has committed to play at the University of South Carolina, allowed one hit and whiffed 10 before he was pulled. Port got its bats going against the bullpen.

Webb went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and four steals. Wright had a triple.

Port beat West Bend East, 7-6, on April 29, the second one-run win over the Suns.

Jackson Dickson sent a laser shot over the left-field fence in a seven-pitch at-bat for his first career homer, and he pitched the final three innings, allowing three runs (one earned), three hits and a walk while whiffing two to earn the save.

Webb started and allowed three runs (two earned), seven hits and two walks while striking out eight. Wright, Bunyan, Jackson Bergin and Thomas Ward each had a hit and an RBI.

Port lost at Nicolet, 7-4, in eight innings last Thursday. Port was the home team and had the bases loaded with the game tied in the seventh inning. Webb was at third and tried to steal home on a throw back to the pitcher. Cal Vercoe threw back to the catcher for a “bang-bang play” in which Webb was called out.

“We made an aggressive play, and it was a great move on Max’s end,” Perkins said. “We stole nine bases in the game and had 10 hits.”

Nicolet scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, and Port couldn’t answer.

Webb went 3-for-4 with a triple and three steals. Bergin had two hits. Bunyan started and allowed three runs, five hits and four walks while striking out three. Eslinger pitched the final four innings, allowing four runs, five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Port lost last Friday, its fourth game in four days, to Shorewood, 8-2.

The Greyhounds had two doubles and a triple in their first seven pitches.

“We were just outplayed,” Perkins said.

He praised Didier’s pitching, and the hitting of Dinkel, Bergin and Bunyan so far this season. Bergin is hitting .296 with an on-base percentage of .500, and he has thrown out 10 runners.

“He’s a real heady player who lives and breathes baseball,” Perkins said. “He has a strong arm and baseball IQ.”

Port, 7-7 overall and 4-2 in the Glacier Trails Conference, was to play at Kewaskum on Tuesday, May 5. Port hosts the Indians on Thursday, May 7, plays at Slinger on Friday, May 8, at Whitefish Bay on Monday, May 11, and at Plymouth on Tuesday, May 12.

Grafton wins pair in 11 innings

Grafton swept Whitefish Bay, winning 10-2 on April 28 at home, then 4-1 in 11 innings on the road the next day.

In the blowout, Jack Schmanski allowed six hits, two runs and three walks while striking out four in five innings. Sam Benter pitched two scoreless innings.

Everett Bonk had three hits and three RBIs. Zach Plier had two hits and two RBIs. Schmanski had a double and two RBIs. Ryan Butts had a single and two RBIs.

On April 29, the Black Hawks scored one run in the top of the seventh to tie the game, then three in the 11th to win. Nick Schiller had a hit and two RBIs. Schmanski had a hit and an RBI. Bonk and Peyton McKinney each had two hits.

Butts allowed one run, seven hits and two walks while whiffing one in nine innings. Sam Cameranesi pitched two scoreless innings.

Grafton then split its season series with Homestead in pitching duels. The Hawks lost, 2-1, last Friday in Mequon.

Benter allowed one run, two hits and a walk while striking out five in five innings. Vince Schiller allowed two hits, a run and a walk while striking out one in one inning.

Cameranesi had a double and an RBI.

On Monday, Grafton beat Homestead at home, 3-2, in 11 innings. Butts had three hits and an RBI. Plier had two hits. McKinney had a hit and an RBI.

Cameranesi allowed two runs (one earned), two hits and three walks while striking out four in seven innings. Butts and Hudson Miller each pitched two scoreless innings.

Grafton, 6-2 and in first place in the North Shore Conference and 7-4 overall, was to host Nicolet (0-5 NSC) on Wednesday, May 6. The Hawks play at Nicolet on Friday, May 8, and at second-place Slinger (5-2) on Monday, May 11. They host Slinger on Wednesday, May 13.