LAKE IN THE HILLS — The theme of this game for the Bats was “Opportunities Lost” as the Flyer’s handed them their first loss, 11-6, at Plote Field. The Bats (2-1) actually outhit the Flyer’s, 14-12, but could never put together more than 3 safeties in any one inning and stranded 9 runners on base.
The Flyer’s (1-2) took advantage of some early fielding miscues by the Bats to score 5 runs (3 unearned) off starter John Eisenmenger in his 3 innings of work. While the Bats struggled to find some key hits, the Flyer’s scored 7 of their 11 runs with 2 outs. They set that tone in the very first inning by scoring an unearned run after two were out with no one on base to go up 1-0. In the top of the second Eisenmenger struck out the side but surrendered a 2-run double in between to make it 3-0.
The Bats did come back with a 2-out run of their own in the bottom half of the second when Tom Klauba led off with a single and stole second. Two outs later a single by Jeff McClellan and a double by Greg Kaczmarek plated Klauba with their first run to pull within 3-1.
A couple of errors in the third helped put the Flyer’s ahead, 5-1, as Eisenmenger’s day on the mound ended with 5 hits allowed with 5 strikeouts in his 3 innings. All four of the Bats errors came in those 3 innings.
With a stiff wind blowing out towards left-center field, the Bats took advantage of the Plote jet stream to launch a couple of long balls in the third leading to 3 runs. Manager Rich Skibski started the rally with a one-out shot over the left fielder’s head and advanced to third on Earl Blankenship’s single to left. Blankenship proceeded to steal second, but neither he nor Skibski could advance on Tom Paul’s slow roller ground out to third. Eisenmenger then reached base on a bobbled ground ball to shortstop which plated Skibski as Blankenship held at second. Klauba followed with a long blast over the center fielder’s head scoring both Blankenship and Eisenmenger, while Klauba pulled up into third with a stand-up 2-run triple to reduce the deficit to 5-4.
Kaczmarek took over on the mound to start the fourth inning, making his first pitching appearance this season for the Bats, and put in 3 innings of work. He surrendered 5 runs on 6 hits with a couple of walks and a hit batter while striking out 2 before giving way to Rob Matassa who allowed 1 run in the seventh inning.
Matassa scored the Bats fifth run of the game in the fourth inning when he led off with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on a Kaczmarek single to right. He scored on a Bill Beckett ground out to third pulling the Bats back to witin 1 run at 6-5.
After Jeff McClellan led off the sixth with a single he came around to score the Bats final run on Mike Steffy’s two-out single.
The Bats next game will be at 7:00 PM on Saturday, May 15 against the Marauders at Plote Field in Lake in the Hills, Ill. The Marauders are 3-0 after defeating the Angels, 11-3, on May 2.
BATS DROPPINGS
Tom Klauba’s triple in the third was the Bats first in 30 games, their longest such drought for 3-baggers. The Bats last triple had come on June 3, 2018 by Mike Hareng versus the Marauders … The Bats have now gone 131 straight games without a home run. The Bats last four-bagger was a first-inning grand-slam hit on August 21, 2011 by John Moulchin against the Cubs. Moulchin collected 9 RBI in that game (a Bats record).
