Regional action began this week
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The East Troy Post 188 16U legion baseball team took a step up in competition to close out the regular season July 8.
And it’s clear East Troy proved it belonged.
Post 188 split a pair of games with 18U foe Milwaukee, as it posted a 9-7 win in the opener and a 10-5 loss in the nightcap.
East Troy opened regional tournament action Wednesday. Post 188 was in the same bracket with Beloit, Janesville and Arrowhead, with the winner facing the top team from the Waterford, Lake Geneva, Racine Dodgers and Watertown bracket for a trip to state.
Having a chance to play a senior legion team – especially in preparation for the postseason – is a positive regardless of the outcome, East Troy coach John Wick said.
“I always love to play Milwaukee,” he said. “They are an 18U team that plays ball.”
East Troy battled back from a 7-3 deficit in the opener.
A two-run single by Brandon Bakken drove in Quinn Erdmann and Jake Hannah, who had walked, followed by a Milwaukee error that chased home Bakken to cut the deficit to just a run.
After Bakken, who earned the save, shut down Milwaukee in the top of the sixth, East Troy took the lead for good in the bottom half.
Nate Reyes singled to drive in Matt Kisting and Erdmann, who singled, followed by a run-scoring single by Jimmy Taylor to account for the final score.
Not all the news was good for East Troy, however, as Andrew Gross suffered a season-ending broken arm on a play at the plate in the bottom of the second inning.
“Losing Andrew is huge,” Wick said. “He’s been a soldier all season as a catch, pitcher and at the plate. We will need someone to step up.”
East Troy came out fast in the nightcap, as singles by Taylor and Zack Lepecki gave Post 188 a 4-0 lead in the first inning.
That was pretty much it offensively, however, as East Troy managed just one hit the rest of the game. Taylor scored Post 188s final run in the sixth inning.
“Jimmy Taylor has really picked up his game at the plate and behind the plate,” Wick said. “The absolute best part of coaching is watching these kids get consistently better.”
Post 188 drops two
East Troy opened its week with a 6-3 loss to visiting Elkhorn, followed by an 11-4 loss last Thursday to host Union Grove.
Post 188 jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, as Austin Daly drove in two with a single, followed by Erdmann’s third steal of home in the top of the third.
The lead was short lived, however, as Union Grove tied things in the bottom of the frame.
After East Troy regained the advantage in the fourth inning, Union Grove knotted things back up, and that’s where it stayed until the sixth inning.
Union Grove took control in that frame with a seven-run inning to close out the scoring.
“We battled well against another older team,” Wick said. “Union Grove is a 17U squad with many juniors. The boys just kept battling.”
In the opener last Wednesday against the 17U Elkhorn squad, Post 188 fell behind 5-0 before it finally scored in the sixth inning.
A single by Daly drove in East Troy’s first run, followed by a walk to Gross and a single by Taylor that cut the deficit to 5-3.
The rally ended there, as East Troy left the bases loaded.
“It took the boys a while to get back in the groove (after the Fourth of July break),” Wick said. “We’ve played a lot of ball this summer, so a break was good, but they didn’t swing as well as they are capable of.
“(Elkhorn coach) Jon Anzalone is starting to get things going for Elkhorn. This could turn into a fun and friendly rivalry.”
