Flames lose LOL debut to 2009 champs
CEDARBURG – The Cedarburg Mercs erupted for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to key a 10-3 win over the Plymouth Flames here Saturday afternoon.
The contest was the Land O’ Lakes Baseball League Northern Division opener for both teams. The Mercs are the defending division champions. The Flames dropped to 1-2 overall.
Cedarburg scored all of its runs in the seventh after the first two batters were retired as it built a 10-3 lead. The big hits in the frame were a two-run homer by John Regnitz and a two-run double by Nolan Gilbertson.
The Mercs combined four hits, a hit batter and one Plymouth error to tally the seventh-inning runs.
Plymouth scored all of its runs in the sixth to knot the game at 3-3. The key hit was Butch Cain’s two-run double.
Cedarburg answered with two runs in its half of the sixth on RBI singles by Gilbertson and John Vandenberg to go ahead 5-3.
Joe Daniels was the winning pitcher and Steve Hopfensperger earned a save with three shutout innings in relief. Hopfensperger retired all nine batters he faced over the final three innings – allowing no hits and walks while striking out four.
Daniels surrendered three earned runs on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts in six frames.
Evan Walsh was the starting and losing hurler. Walsh gave up eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits with five walks, four hit batters and eight strikeouts in 6-2/3 innings.
Ryan Wachter went the final 1-1/3 frames and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with zero walks and two whiffs.
Chris Bennin paced the Flames in hits with two.
Vandenberg was an impressive 5-for-5 to spark the Mercs’ 13-hit attack. Brian Bert, Gilbertson and Regnitz added two apiece. Vandenberg had a team-high four RBIs and Gilbertson, three.
“We got down early [3-0 after one inning]. I was happy that we battled back,” said Flame playermanager Rick Meyer.
“Hopfensperger mixes it up and didn’t walk anyone. He hit his spots. “They’re so strong [in Mercs’ batting lineup]. I’m disappointed that they broke it open in the seventh. “They’re tough. I would pick them to win the division,” Meyer said.
“We didn’t play bad defense [one error by Plymouth]. In stretches, we can play with anyone.” The Flames have a pair of weekend games. Saturday, they play at Branch at 3 p.m. in a nonleague game. Sunday, Plymouth will host division foe Thiensville-Mequon at 1 p.m. at Loebe Field.
| BASEBALL
|
| FLAMES 3 |
| CEDARBURG 10 |
Score by Innings
Flames……………000 003 000 – 3 7 1
Cedarburg………300 002 50x – 10 13 2
Evan Walsh, Ryan Wachter (7) and Dusty Medved; Joe Daniels, Steve Hopfensperger (7) and Joe Reichert. W –
Daniels. L – Walsh, 0-1. Save – Hopfensperger. 2Bs – Flames, Butch Cain, Walsh; Cedarburg, Brian Bert, Nolan
Gilbertson 2. 3B – Cedarburg, Bert. HR – Cedarburg, ___________________________ John Regnitz.
