Pair of dominant pitchers lead Woodchucks to rout of Kingfish
Sunday afternoon, Wisconsin Woodchuck pitchers surrendered 13 runs on 12 hits in a 13-2 smackdown at the hands of the Madison Mallards. Monday night, Woodchuck pitchers allowed just one run on six hits. Five strong innings of one-run ball from one pitcher making his first start of the summer plus four perfect innings from another in his longest, and best, outing of the year, along with plenty of offense, led the Woodchucks (21-31; 6-11) to a 10-1 win over the Kenosha Kingfish (28-24; 6-11) Monday night at Simmons Field.
Degan Harte was very solid in his first six Woodchucks innings this summer, but the Kingfish actually struck first against him in his first start of the season. Carson Breshears led off with a ground-rule double into the right-field corner and Derek Bangert improved his on-base streak to 49 games by singling him home. But Kenosha, which scored just one run in three games against Wisconsin Rapids this weekend, would not score again against Wisconsin on Monday.
The Chucks leveled the score in short order. Hunter Coleman singled to lead off the second against Michael Costanzo and Jordan Santos singled him home. They would not stop there. James Davison led off the third with a single and Stevie Mangrum singled him home. Logan Foster then reached and Coleman doubled home Mangrum before Trey Dawson doubled home Coleman and Foster. Santos followed with his second RBI single in as many innings to cap off a five-run, six-hit Wisconsin frame.
Austin Paisar threw two scoreless for Kenosha, but he cost himself two runs in the sixth. Davison and Foster both singled and both scored on four total wild pitches from Paisar to make it 8-1 Wisconsin. Jackson Owens and Davison both walked in the seventh against Ben Lynam, and Foster drove them both home to put Wisconsin out to a commanding 10-1 lead.
Meanwhile, the Chucks pitchers were on a roll. Harte didn’t allow another run after the first, helped by an unassisted double play turned at first by Coleman on a blast of a line drive hit by Jesse Wilkening in the fourth, and a leaping catch by Chad Fleischman at third base, robbing Bangert of a sure double in the fifth.
Harte struck out five against just one walk over five strong in his first start, and he gave way to Lenny Gwizdala in the sixth. In his last appearance, Gwizdala was on the wrong end of a controversial call, and he played like a man on a mission Monday night. “Lenny Ice” faced 12 Kenosha hitters, and he retired them all. He needed just 40 pitches to get through four perfect innings, with six strikeouts, to notch a four-inning save and ice the 10-1 Wisconsin win.
The Chucks head back to Simmons Field Tuesday night eying a series sweep. First pitch in Kenosha is slated for 7:05 PM.
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