Saints drop two games

Three bad innings sunk the Saukville Saints baseball team in two Rock River League road games last weekend.

The Saints on Sunday lost to the Hustisford Astros, 19-2, and on Saturday lost to the Cedarburg Mercs, 8-3.

On Sunday, the game remained scoreless until the fourth inning when the Saints plated two runs.

Taylor Devenport doubled and then scored on a Mike Pruefer single. After a fielder’s choice and singles by Mike Mueller and Tom Hartwick, a single by Steve Dickmann brought in another run.

The Astros responded in the bottom of the fourth with eight runs on nine hits.

They added two runs in the fifth inning and nine in the sixth.

Pruefer and Miller led the Saints with two hits each.

Cale Fransen started and went three-plus innings for the Saints, allowing eight runs (five earned) on nine hits.

Ben Kleist went 2-1/3 innings and allowed 10 runs (six earned) on 10 hits while walking two and striking out two.

Devenport went the final 2/3 inning, allowing one earned run on one hit while walking three.

On Saturday, starter Hartwick had his stuff against the Mercs. He entered the seventh inning with a shutout before disaster struck. The Mercs scored six runs but only three were earned as an error kept the big frame alive. The Mercs had seven hits in the inning.

The Saints escaped a jam in the sixth inning. Jordan D’Angelo tagged a Merc in a pickle between second and third base, then threw back to Max Pruefer at second, who nearly got the runner advancing there.

In 6-2/3 innings, Hartwick allowed six runs and nine hits, walking and whiffing one each.

Andrew Biertzer went the final 1-1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs and two hits, walking two and whiffing four.

The Saints took the lead in the first inning. Dickmann singled, Max Pruefer walked and Mike Pruefer hit into a fielder’s choice. Dickmann scored on a wild pitch.

In the fourth inning, Mueller doubled and Dickmann brought him home with a single.

Dickmann and Jimmy D’Angelo each had two hits.

Merc starter Kyle Jungers allowed two earned runs and five hits in seven innings, walking four and whiffing 11. Garrett Redner gave up one run on two hits in the final two innings. He struck out one.

The Saints, 1-6, play at the Thiensville-Mequon Twins at Rennicke Field in Mequon at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2.