July 16-18
Leff's Lucky Town Americans 10 Town and Lake Realty Braves 4
In game one of a doubleheader that Leff's needed to sweep to get back into the playoff race, Jared Catenacci, John Kuhn and Alex Rejniak got Leff's on the board early with 2 runs in the first inning. Catenacci was hit with the first pitch and John Kuhn followed with a single. Rejniak with two outs then hit a single scoring both runners after John Kuhn's steal. The Braves got one in their half of the first, but that would be their last meaningful challenge as Leff's defense made the key plays, led by Steve Gustafason in centerfield and Aaron Bielawski at second base. Leff's added two runs in the second and three in the third as Rob Tschimperle, Jeremy Kroll and Jarrett Gates all contributed hits. In the sixth, Mike Schroeder helped his pitching cause with his second homer of the season, an exclamation point 380 foot home run which drove in John Kuhn after Kuhn's 3rd hit of the day, a double to the wall.
Schroeder worked a game plan to perfection controlling the game on his way to the victory, while dealing with symptoms of the heat which caused him to be sick and need ice packs. Rejniak pitched a final scoreless inning. Catenacci went 2-4, 4r, bi; John Kuhn 4-4, 3r, 2bi and Rejniak 3-4, 3bi. Adam Graves had two hits for the Braves, while three other Braves were ejected.
Leff's Lucky Town Americans 3 Town and Lake Realty Braves 1
In game two of a key doubleheader, Leff's pitcher Rob Tschimperle pitched a gutty game, allowing only three hits in six innings en route to the sweep of the Brave's. The defense behind him got the job done in the middle innings until Tschimperle asserted himself strongly in the fifth and sixth getting five strikeouts over those two innings. In the sixth, "Chimp" recorded three of those strikeouts, including of a Braves pinch hitter. Alex Rejniak pitched a scoreless final inning getting the save, with two strikeouts including striking out the final hitter on a nasty breaking ball. Jared Catenacci had two hits and a run scored for Leff's. Rejniak had the game winning RBI.
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