Muskego Impact Hit Bump in Road

After not playing any baseball for ten days because of rainouts (or wet grounds at Horn on Father’s Day to the surprise of all but the contracted grounds crew), the Impact returned to action this past Wednesday night and dropped two of three games.  They picked up a victory in their first game back against the Butler Bombers 12-3, but dropped a doubleheader on Sunday against the West Allis Nighthawks 8-2 and 4-3, which dropped their record in the Land O’ Lakes eastern division to 4-3.  Those two loses may be crucial, but they have some time to recover as they look to repeat as the eastern division champs.

In the game against Butler, the Impact scored early and often taking a 12-0 lead after five innings.  The Bombers scored 3 runs in the top of the 7th preventing the 10 run slaughter rule to take effect.  Peter Jewell was the starting and winning pitcher twirling a no-hitter over six innings.  He pitched seven innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, striking out 9 and only walking 2.  Jake Jewel finished what brother Peter had started pitching the final two innings allowing no runs on one hit, striking out 4 and walking none. 

The Impact only garnered 8 hits in the game, but worked the opposing pitchers for 8 walks and a couple of hit batters making for an easy victory.  Leading the charge at the plate was Sean Staral who picked up 2 hits and 4 RBIs and Andy Liss with 2 hits and one RBI.

In the two losses on Sunday, the Impact’s effort looked to be lackluster at best.  It could have been the travel to Lannon to play the Nighthawks, the hot weather or the hours that a number of the players put in the day prior umpping in the Muskego Warriors Youth Baseball Tourney. 

In the opener, they committed 5 errors with a few of those allowing West Allis to take a 4-0 lead before the Impact scored one in the top of the 5th.  Then 2 errors in the bottom half put the Nighthawks up 6-1 and they coasted to the 8-2 victory.  Taking the loss for the Impact was Dave Mihlsimmer who should have faired much better as his record dropped to 2-1.  He allowed only 2 earned runs on 10 hits, striking out 6 and walking 2.   The Impact could only muster up 5 hits against winning pitcher Alex Tomter with Nick Schmidlkofer picking up 3 of them with an RBI.  Nick Blanchet hit a long solo home run to left center in the sixth inning.

In the 4-3 second game loss, the Impact played much better defense with no errors and they were in this game all the way to the end.  Going into the bottom of the 3rd they were trailing 2-1 when the Nighthawks Ryan Welch hit a 2-run home run to make it 4-1.  The Impact fought back with one run in each the fifth and sixth inning, but couldn’t push one across in the 7th to tie the score.  Again the Impact’s bats were stymied as they only picked up 7 hits with the only multiple hit game coming from Brandon Kozinski.  He picked up 2 hits with an RBI.  Blanchet and Schmidlkofer each picked up one hit with an RBI, but Schmidlkofer’s drive to right center was caught at the warning track to end the game with runners on first and second.

Cole Borek picked up the loss evening his record at 1-1.  He pitched real well after the first inning except for the home run ball as he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, striking out 2 and walking none.  The winning pitcher for the Nighthawks was Mike Bruhn.

The Impact return to action on Wednesday night at Malone Park in New Berlin and then on Sunday play North Shore at Henry Aaron Field in a doubleheader starting at noon.