Red Wings Win Pony League Championship

It's time to celebrate for the 13/14 year old Pony League Rochester Red Wings who secured the Grayslake Youth Baseball Association championship Sunday in a game against the  Wisconsin Rattlers 8-6.

In the top of the first, Wisconsin Rattlers grabbed the early lead, 3-0. Rattlers got things going when Billy Drevline doubled. A single by Carter Maiden then moved Drevline from second to third. Wisconsin Rattlers pushed more runs across when Ben Sulzer scored on a passed ball and Tyler Barta scored on an RBI single by Jack Rutkowski.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, Matt Kozak led off with a single, followed by a single by Chris Akin. Matt Kozak scored on a single by Michael Hrycyk, and Chris Akin got caught at the plate after aggressively gunning for home. Nate Schlagel gets a walk, and Michael Grego takes one for the team with a hit-by-pitch. Jimmy Oslovich grounds out but scores Hrycyk, and Johnny Rennolds follows-up with a single to score Schlagel before the inning ended with the game tied 3-3.

Red Wings pitcher Michael Hrycyk retired the first 3 batters in the top of the 2nd with help from his defense, including a diving, sliding catch in left field by Brett Anderberg.

In the bottom of the 2nd Brett Anderberg walked; Jackson Bothmann hit a line drive to right-center to advance Anderberg to 3rd. Matt Kozak grounded out, but scored Anderberg and advanced Bothmann to 2nd. Bothmann advanced to 3rd on a passed ball, and then scored on a single to center field by Chris Akin. Michael Hrycyk singled scoring Akin to make the game 6-3.

Chris Akin pitched the top of the 3rd inning and battled through 2 runs and bases loaded. Carter Maiden singled to center field and stole 2nd and then 3rd on a passed ball. Hunter Ambre singled to right field plating Maiden. Ambre stold 2nd and then 3rd on a passed ball and scored on a groundout by Ben Sulzer. Jimmy Oslovich relieves Akin to end the inning 6-5.

The Rattlers Billy Drevlin and his defense retire the Red Wings 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 3rd to keep the score at 6-5.

The top of the 4th inning was the Oslovich-Cashmore-Schlagel show.

After the lead-off batter gains a single, Jimmy Oslovich and Zack Cashmore signaled the pitch-out and Cashmore fired the throw to shortstop Nate Schlagel to stop the steal-attempt at 2nd. After walking the next batter, Oslovich and Cashmore issued a repeat performance with a pitch-out throw to Schlagel for the second steal-attempt at 2nd. The next batter struck out to retire the side and keep the score at 6-5.

In the bottom of the 4th, Zack Cashmore lead off with a single, followed up by a single by Jose Vasquez. Brett Anderberg took the initiative and laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Vasquez and Cashmore to 2nd and 3rd. Jackson Bothmann grounded out, but scored Cashmore before the inning ended at 7-5.

In the top of the 5th, Oslovich battled through bases loaded and minimized the opposing runs to one scored, 7-6.

Nate Schlagel took the mound at the top of the 6th, giving up a walk, a strike-out and a single with runners on 1st and 3rd. But, Schlagel struck out the next 2 batters to hold the score at 7-6.

In the bottom of the 6th, Michael Greco walked and advanced to 2nd on a ground out by Johnny Rennolds. Greco stole 3rd on a passed ball then scored on a walk. Greco scored on a single by Jose Vasquez, and Cashmore advanced to 2nd. Vasquez and Cashmore advance to 2nd and 3rd on a passed ball. Pitcher Hunter Ambre strikes out the next batter to end the inning at 8-6.

In the top of the 7th, Nate Schlagel struck out the first 3 batters to retire the side and secure the win.