July 13, 2018 at 11:52 a.m.
Clutch hitting propels to Snowhawks to first win in 2018
Clutch hitting propels to Snowhawks to first win in 2018
Lake Tomahawk dropped each of its first three games heading into Monday's contest against Zimmy's All-Stars.
In the late stages of the game, the Snowhawks were clinging to a 4-3 lead when the bats finally came alive - along with a bit of luck - as they scored eight runs over two innings to come away with their first win of the season, 12-3.
"It was a little touch-and-go the whole game, but we got some hits in the eighth inning that we needed," Lake Tomahawk manager Jeff Smith said. "We needed them bad. Got a couple hits at the bottom of the order that set us up for a good inning. It was another good defensive game."
Lake Tomahawk was able to keep Zimmy's off the board during the first two innings, while Smith and Ryan Schowalter each scored in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead.
Zimmy's came back to tie the game in the third on runs by Jeff Ziemba and Randy Robinson, but Schowalter and Derek Young both crossed home plate in the bottom half of the inning to regain the two-run lead.
Tom Ziemba scored in the top of the sixth, setting up the potential for another nail-biter.
"I was very worried about it," Smith said. "Every game this year has been the same thing. I thought we were gonna pull this out or lose by a couple again. This team can get some hits fast. They can put five on the board just like anybody. It was good that they hit a couple pop flies and it ruined their momentum a little bit."
In the bottom of the seventh, Lake Tomahawk made its move to dispel any fears.
Billy Kuckkahn earned a one-out hit, followed by another by Smith and another by Derek Young, as all three would come around to score in an inning where the Snowhawks tallied five hits.
The eighth inning saw Lake Tomahawk pull away for good as a lead-off home run by Dustin Schowalter sparked a five-run frame.
"That was nice. It set the inning," Smith said. "It got everybody going and it set up some nice at-bats at the end of the order that set us up for some runs that we've been missing all year. Hopefully the guys get a little confidence at the end of the order and start hitting some balls."
Justin Crass, Nick Mercks, Kuckkahn and Ryan Schowalter all earned hits, while Young knocked in two runs on a triple before Cole Punches brought him home on a single on the next at-bat.
The big inning set up a chance to close things out in the top of the ninth, but Zimmy's managed to load the bases with two outs, but Smith made a diving stop and got a force out at third base to secure the win.
"If the ball gets by, that's a double and who knows what they could've done that inning," Smith said. "You've got to stop everything. Everything has to be a stop. You might not make the play, but you have to stop the ball. It boiled down to that."
Ryan Schowalter went 3 for 4 at the plate, as did Young and Kuckkahn, while Punches was 3 for 5. Smith, Cella and Todd Niemuth all collected a pair of hits.
Joey Marshal and Robinson went 3 for 4 to lead Zimmy's, while Tom Ziemba went 3 for 5.
The Snowhawks (1-3) return to action Monday against Heart II at 7:30 p.m.
Nick Sabato may be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter @NickSabatoLT.
WEATHER SPONSORED BY
E-Editions
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
August
To Submit an Event Sign in first
Today's Events
No calendar events have been scheduled for today.
Comments:
You must login to comment.