Falcons get off to tough start
by Steve Ottman Falls News Correspondent
The Sheboygan Falls Falcons are off to a rough start, after facing some of the best summer baseball teams in the state in non-conference action last week.
Falls dropped a doubleheader to the state-ranked West Bend West Spartans. The Falcons lost 12-2 and 13-2 on Friday, May 28, to fall to 1-5 overall to start the season.
“We definitely played some tough teams,” said Falcons coach Todd Struve. “We are a better team than were showing. The players just need to get some confidence.”
Bobby Musil and Ryan Krist each hit doubles to lead the Falcons in hitting in the first game. Pitcher Russell Preder took the loss, with four strikeouts, two walks and a hit batter.
Cole Heili’s first home run of season highlighted the second game for Falls. Heili blasted a two-run bomb to centerfield in the bottom of the fifth, while teammate Andrew Endsley had a double in the inning. Pitcher Zach Hand took the loss for the Falcons.
The Falcons rallied for three runs to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning against the Grafton Blackhawks Tuesday, May 25, but the Blackhawks tallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-4 win.
Zach Van Engen’s two-run sacrifice fly sparked the comeback for Falls, after Ryan Halverson singled and Lewis Halverson and Musil walked to start the inning.
Pitchers Heili and Devin Christenson combined for nine strikeouts. Heili struck out seven batters with two walks and nine hits. Christenson took the loss, giving up four hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Musil and Preder combined to two-hit the Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah Resorters in a 6-1 Falls victory Monday, May 24, to give the Falcons their first win of the season.
Musil pitched five strong innings to pick up the win, with eight strikeouts and three walks, while giving up two hits. Preder recorded the save, with four strikeouts in two innings of work.
Heili started the scoring for Falls in the third inning, with a two-run single. Endsley scored on an error in the fourth to make the score 3-0.
The Falcons tacked on three more runs in the sixth, after Jake Hucke and Dustin Schueffner scored on errors. Van Engen also stole home.
“Our defense and pitching did a great job,” remarked Struve. “We’ll be ready for our conference opener against Plymouth on Tuesday.”
| BASEBALL | |
| WEST BEND | 12 |
| WEST | |
| SHEBOYGAN | 2 |
| FALLS | |
Score by Innings
West Bend West…….411 204 - 12 13 1
Sheboygan Falls…….000 020 - 2 3 3
Dylan Hinckley and Joe Stubbe. Russell Preder and Bobby Musil (4), Ryan Krist. W-Hinckley. L-Preder 0-2. 2B’s-
Sheboygan Falls, Musil, Krist. HR-West Bend West, Josh Ernisse.
| WEST BEND | 13 |
| WEST | |
| SHEBOYGAN | 2 |
| FALLS | |
Score by Innings
West Bend West…….041 26 - 13 17 1
Sheboygan Falls…….000 02 - 2 5 2
Davis Yack and Joe Stubbe. Zach Hand (4), Zach Van Engen and Bobby Musil. W-Yack. L-Hand 0-1. 2B’s-West
Bend West, Eric Duscharme. Sheboygan Falls, Andrew Endsley. HR’s-West Bend West, Shane Hayes. Sheboygan
Falls, Cole Heili (1).
| SHEBOYGAN 4 | |
| FALLS | |
| GRAFTON | 5 |
Score by Innings
Sheboygan Falls...000 100 3 - 4 3 1
Grafton………….….010 110 2 - 5 13 0
Cole Heili (5), Devin Christenson and Bobby Musil. Conner Fisk and Bohn W-Fisk. L-Christenson 0-1. 3B’s-Grafton,
Bohn.
| ELKHART | 1 |
| LAKE | |
| SHEBOYGAN 6 | |
| FALLS | |
Score by Innings
Elkhart Lake…………000 010 0 - 1 2 4
Sheboygan Falls…...002 103 x - 6 5 0
Dane Blake (4), Travis Kosnicki. Bobby Musil (5), Russell Preder and Ryan Krist (5), Musil. _______________________ W-Musil 1-0. L-Blake.
