August 3, 2018 at 4:20 p.m.
Snowhawks come away victorious
WPS struggles to get the bats going
Snowhawks come away victorious
WPS fell 13-1 in the game, with the Snowhawks defense holding strong throughout.
When the two squads met in 2017, the game ended in a 26-13 scoreline, with the Snowhawks again coming out on top. Cut to 2018 and the game was not quite an offensive bonanza, but their were plenty of light-hearted moments and top-notch defensive plays to keep the full crowd entertained.
The only run for the WPS squad came in the first inning when Tyler Beran drove in Sean Aderholt, who reached on single. The first inning ended with WPS on top 1-0, but it was all Snowhawks from there on out.
Todd Niemuth got things going for the Snowhawks in the second inning with a hard hit single. Dustin Schowalter, Billy Kukkhan, Nick Merckx, Zack Bain, Dave Nance and Jeff Smith all followed up with base hits of their own. By the time the dust settled, the Snowhawks had reached the five-run inning limit. They headed to the field with clear momentum behind them.
There were brief bright spots for the WPS squad, including Aderholdt, Brandon Schindler and Quinn Gretzky all going 2-3 on the day, but big days by the Snowhawks' Niemuth, Derek Youth and Cole Punches prevented any energy from shifting away from the home team.
Despite some threatening rain before the game, the skies cleared up in time for the first pitch, and a great crowd was on hand in the stands, which is exactly what manager/coach Jeff Smith likes to see.
"We were happy to have a great crowd tonight. We've really seen great crowds all season," Smith said. "WPS showed up, but they just couldn't get the runs across the plate like we thought they would. They had a really great team last year and knocked the ball all over the place and we were expecting that again this year."
Smith said the WPS squad just came up "a hit or two short every inning," which proved to be the ultimate difference.
"It was a lot of fun though. They're a great group of guys," he said.
Looking ahead, the schedule gets a bit tougher for the Snowhawks with Smiley's, Dazels Demons, Shamrock and Lizzy T's on deck in the coming weeks.
Smith said the squad will need to be on its A-Game to finish out the season.
"The defense has been strong all season. No issues there. And now our hitting is finally starting to get there. Guys are getting a little more confidence at the plate," he said. "I hope that can continue for the rest of the season. They'll be challenging games, and that's the way we like them."
The Snowhawks will next take the field in Lake Tomahawk at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6 against the hometown-based Smiley's Pub squad.
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