EISENMENGER SINKS MARINERS, 5-1, WITH COMPLETE GAME 3-HITTER; BATS STAY UNDEFEATED
GENOA CITY — The Bats extended their record-breaking start to a season with a 5-1 Sunday morning victory over the Mariners at Torstenson Field. John Eisenmenger picked up the complete game victory, his fourth in as many starts, as the Bats improved to 4-0. The right-hander allowed only 3 hits while striking out 3 and walking none in a fast-paced game that lasted only one hour and twenty minutes.
The Mariners drew first blood with one out in the first inning when Bryan Jones hit an opposite-field triple to right field and scored on a passed ball, giving the visitors a quick 1-0 lead. The Bats failed to score in the first, but tied it at 1-1 in the second when Paul Abbinanti double to the right-center field gap and scampered home on Earl Blankenship’s single.
The Bats broke the 1-1 tie in the third inning when Tony DiBlasi led off with a walk followed by singles by Tom Paul and Tom Klauba to load the bases with no outs for Eisenmenger. Given an opportunity to help his own cause, Eisenmenger lofted a high fly ball to left field which was deep enough to score DiBlasi from third, just ahead of the relay throw. The throw also allowed Paul and Klauba to advance a base, leaving runners at second and third with one out. Greg Kaczmarek promptly followed with a 2-run single to up the lead to 4-1.
In the fourth Abbinanti walked to start the inning and eventually scored on a 2-out RBI single by Jeff McClellan to make it 5-1. The Bats failed to score anymore after that, but it was more than enough as Eisenmenger pitched a gem and never allowed more than four Mariners to bat in any inning.
The defensive tone of the game was set in the first inning for the Bats as the Mariners leadoff batter, Brian Morris, hit a tough ground ball to Kaczmarek at third base. A strong, but low, throw to first was scooped out of the dirt by first baseman Matt Weiss to keep the speedy Morris off the bases. Kaczmarek was far from finished, however, as he proceeded to put on a fielding clinic at third with a total of 6 assists from the field.
Throughout the game the defense did the little things needed to keep runners off base or advancing an extra base. This was perhaps demonstrated best in the fourth inning when a hard shot down the left field line was corralled by left fielder Blankenship to hold the batter to a single. The next Mariners hitter drilled a line drive headed to the right center gap that was snagged with a leaping catch by Paul at second base, who then fired to first to catch the runner at first for a double play.
The Bats (4-0) next game will be at 10:00 AM on Sunday, June 11 against the Lightning (2-2) at Krisk Park- Stan Torstenson Field in Genoa City, Wisc.
STARS OF THE GAME
1st Star — John Eisenmenger – Gained his fourth complete game victory scattering 3 hits with 3 strikeouts in 7 innings. Also hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly to give the Bats a 2-1 in the third inning.
2nd Star — Greg Kaczmarek – 1-for-3 with a 2-run single in the third inning. Converted six groundballs into outs, including 3 web gems.
3rd Star — Paul Abbinanti – 2-for-2 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Scored the Bats first and last runs, the latter coming after his running on the pitch prevented a groundball to shortstop from being turned into a double play, and leaving himself in scoring position.
Honorable Mentions — Earl Blankenship – 1-for-3 with 1 RBI. His RBI tied the game, 1-1, in the second inning. Played a solid game in left field and yelled over to position right fielder Steffy perfectly for a flyout down the line in the first inning. Tony DiBlasi — 1-for-1 with a walk and scored the go ahead run in third inning. His hit was the 10th oldest hit in Bats history (See Senior Moments section below.)
SENIOR MOMENTS
When Tony DiBlasi lined a single to left center in Sunday’s game, he did it at the age of 72 years – 173 days. That moved him into the Top 10 of “old age” hits. Only nine other times has a Bats player hit safely at an older age than Tony.
On August 25, 2019 Denny Prosperi had an RBI single against the Yard Dogs in a 10-9 victory over the Yard Dogs at Emricson Park. Denny’s age was 73 years – 17 days, making him the oldest player (and the only one over 73) to ever hit safely in a game for the Bats. Earlier that year on May 5 Denny had singled to become the oldest player (72 years – 270 days) to get a hit for the Bats. He passed Bill Quoss whose final hit with the Bats on August 19, 2018 was accomplished at the age of 72 years – 238 days, and had been the previous record.
These three players — Bill Quoss, Denny Prosperi, and Tony DiBlasi — are the only 70-year-olds to ever hit safely for the Bats, and they have 47 hits among them as septuagenarians. Bill had 33 hits, Denny has 10 and Tony now has 4 hits after the age of 70. Denny also had a hit the day before he turned 70 (August 7, 2016), and Bill holds the record as the oldest player (72 years – 189 days) to record 3 hits in a game on July 1, 2018 in a 13-5 loss to the Lightning at Behm Park.
Hats off to these geezers! They proudly put the “senior” in Senior Baseball.
BATS DROPPINGS
The Bats best record after 4 games prior to 2023 was 3-1 back in 2004 …. The Bats have surrendered only 14 runs in their first 4 games. That’s the fewest runs they have ever allowed in their first 4 games, topping their previous best of 21 runs in 2009 …. Their 10 hits on Sunday maintains the Bats streak of at least 10 hits in each of their first four games …. Right fielder Jeff McClellan was the first Bats outfielder to garner an assist when he threw a runner out at first base on a ball blooped into right field in the sixth inning …. Johnny Eisenmenger became the eighth Bats player to put together a playing streak of 40 consecutive games or more. Also continuing their playing streaks were Earl Blankenship (88 games) and Tom Paul (56 games). …. The Mariners 1-0 lead after the first inning marked the first time the Bats had trailed at the end of an inning all season. In fact, after 27 innings of play the Bats have been ahead 24 times, been tied twice and behind only once at the conclusion of each inning …. Thanks to some solid pitching and defense the Bats have allowed no runs in 19 of the 27 innings their opponents have batted. That’s a rate of 76% shutout innings. Last season the Bats had only 53% shutout innings defensively.
