Kingfish Take Walk-Off Win over Battle Jacks in Extra Innings Frenzy
Northwoods Kenosha Kingfish

Kingfish Take Walk-Off Win over Battle Jacks in Extra Innings Frenzy

August 5, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kenosha Kingfish News Release


KENOSHA, WI - A stadium blackout. A walk-off overturned. A manager ejected. All in the twelfth inning of a thirteen-inning game.

What went from a quick-paced game turned into a four-hour affair between the Kenosha Kingfish and Battle Creek Battle Jacks-but at least thirty minutes of those four hours consisted of scrambling to turn the lights back on, arguments between coaches and umpires, and determining whether Kenosha's first walk-off run actually counted or not.

And all of it happened in one inning.

Lights Out

Travis Maxwell delivered his first pitch at exactly 6:35 p.m.

Normally, in an average Kingfish game, every three innings last an hour. In this game, it was the top of the fifth by 7:35 p.m.

It was a pitcher's duel between Maxwell and Battle Creek's Brett Seils, both eager to shut their opponents down and in their strides only seconds after the pitch clock began to tick down.

Then the sixth inning came, and with that came new pitching.

Alberto Santos of the Battle Jacks had a completely different strategy from Seils on the mound: taking his sweet ol' time. This was a common theme among all of the relief pitchers, slowing down all and any momentum on both sides.

By the time the ninth inning finished and things remained tied at four apiece, it was 10 p.m., thirty minutes later than when the average Kingfish game ends.

Thirty-five minutes later in the bottom of the twelfth, all sources of light at Historic Simmons Field went out-exactly four hours after the first pitch.

Chaos exploded in the press box. Murmurs flowed through the stands. Players retreated hesitantly to their dugouts.

In the Northwoods league, no new inning is allowed to start after 10:30 p.m. But technically, it was the bottom of the inning and nothing new began after 10:30. Did the city of Kenosha shut everything down due to curfew laws? Was there a timer on the lights the operators weren't aware of? Was there a power outage?

The only remaining beams of light came from the flashlights of phones in the stands, waving back and forth throughout the ballpark. In a moment of literal darkness, strangers communicated with one another across sections, all in a positive light.

As wholesome as the moment was, it only lasted for a few minutes before any questions could be answered, as everything came back to life.

Play ball.

The Walk-Off That Never Was

Cheers erupted as Battle Creek re-took the field and Kyle Alivo re-entered the batter's box, Ethan Hindle jogging back to second as the ghostrunner.

Alivo did his job, sending a sacrifice fly to deep right field, advancing Hindle to third in exchange for an out.

With a runner only 90 feet from the plate, Nick Williams had the opportunity to send the Kingfish home happy. As soon as Nathan Harb lifted his leg, Williams squared to bunt, adjusting his bat toward the incoming strike.

He missed. But so did the catcher.

Hindle on third got an automatic read of the passed ball, charging toward home at full speed with a win on the forefront of his mind, but Ivan Salinas stood in his path, ball in glove.

In an attempt to swerve around Salinas, Hindle took a rough turn, twisting his ankle in the process and going down in pain. However, in the process, Salinas lost the ball. Unaware of Hindle's injury, Nick Williams tapped him on the shoulder, jumping and urging him to touch the plate.

As soon as his fingers met the rubber, the Kingfish dugout erupted, the team storming him at the diamond. It was over. After twelve innings and a blackout, it was finally over-until it wasn't.

After a full fifteen minutes of angry discussion between Kingfish Aidan Wirshing and the umpire crew, Ethan Hindle's walk-off run was dismissed and he was called out. Eventually, after more discussion, Aidan was sent out with him.

The show goes on.

True Walk-Off Fashion

The chaos of the twelfth inning was escaped, and the fire of the thirteenth began (yes, even after 10:30. It was worth it).

Jaxson Easterlin came in for the 'Fish, shutting down the Battle Jacks 1-2-3, quickly starting the bottom of the thirteenth.

Will Matuszak got things rolling with a sacrifice bunt, moving ghostrunner Tyler Horner over to third to circle back to the top of the order. Robert Newland.

Newland unleashed on the third pitch of his at-bat, dropping his shoulder in a home-run swing. The ball sailed toward right field, tailing toward the first base line. Horner remained tagged on third, watching the ball as it began to lose its battle with gravity.

Finally, the ball met the turf. Horner sprinted home, a grin plastered on his face, as the team stormed the field for the second time of the night, this time in Robert Newland's direction.

After four hours and thirteen innings, the game was over, and the Kingfish took the win 5-4.



Northwoods League Stories from August 5, 2025


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