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Northwoods Green Bay Rockers

Overall Leaders in League Battle for Playoff Posturing

July 11, 2015 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Green Bay Rockers News Release


Connor Donovan of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
Connor Donovan of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
(Green Bay Rockers)

Green Bay, WI.- The last time Kenosha played against the Bullfrogs from June 21-22, it was in the middle of a six-game losing streak as Green Bay overpowered the Kingfish to sweep the two-game set by a combined total of 18-8.

Now Kenosha is playing is their best baseball, 9-2 in the second half, guided by a lineup with sluggers such as Eric Filia (UCLA), Jason Scholl (Eastern Illinois), and Nick Sergakis (Ohio State).

The Kingfish start Brendon Allen (Eastern Illinois) (1-2/4.63 ERA/23 1/3IP). As Green Bay counters with Connor Donovan (Lehigh) (3-0/1.40ERA/25 2/3IP), an all-star caliber right-hander who has cemented himself as a late-innings bullpen stalwart, now making his first start having gone 6IP/3R of relief against Kalamazoo in his last appearance.

Bullfrogs Clamp Down Growlers With Impressive Hitting Display

Again, a starter lasted less than five innings for the fifth time in six games, but the Bullfrogs still won, 12-7, by virtue of a seven-run second frame, and 15 hits against five different Kalamazoo hurlers.

Ryan Radue (UConn) went 2IP/3H/3R/0K-2BB and was lifted because he breached the 35 pitch limit in his final inning of work, in which he surrendered three runs on a bases loaded clearing double by Kory Young (Michigan State) to left field.

The retort was an impressive seven runs by Green Bay that sent 13 hitters to the plate. The scoring started with a two RBI double from Mason George (UTSA), his second two-bagger- two RBI hit of the season against the Growlers. More RBI knocks came through from Logan Taylor (Louisville), Robb Paller (Columbia), Brian Celsi, and Ryan Donovan (Hofstra).

Seven hitters in a row went unretired as the Growlers starter, Ryan May (LSU), was bounced after 1 1/3IP/6R/6H/0K-1BB. And no Growlers pitcher thereafter was able to log more than two innings.

Up 7-3 after two innings, the Growlers tied up the contest with a four-run fourth, capped off by a 2-RBI base hit from Jordan Stading (Houston) against Chad Dullnig (Ranger College).

But for the fifth time in the pair at Joannes, the Bullfrogs re-claimed the advantage. Paller continued to rake with his second double of the night driving in Ty Blankmeyer (St. John's). Danny Rosenbaum (Louisville) and Mikey Duarte (UC-Irvine) followed more RBI hits.

Green Bay's bullpen settled into form with five straight scoreless innings to end the game, including two scoreless from Matt De La Rosa (Lenoir-Rhyne), and Jakey Stolley (Northwestern), who also together had three strikeouts.

De La Rosa, usually a position player, has two appearances with three innings and two strikeouts, yet to have let up a run. He even forced a 5-3 double play helped by Jack Strunc in the sixth inning to end a bases loaded threat.

Strunc had a 3-for-5 night at the plate with two runs and a solo blast to left field on a ball that had a line drive trajectory off of Alex Kuisel (Academy of Art). Strunc was named the WOCO 107.1FM "Coaches' Player of the Game."

The win went to Chad Dullnig (1.1IP/1H/0R), the loss to Tim Cerven (KVCC) (2IP/5H/2R) and the Bullfrogs advanced to 29-16/7-3, riding a five-game win streak.

Bats Uncompromising Approach Leads To High-Scoring Wins

The scoring has come early and often for a Bullfrogs team that has typically graced the bottom third of the league in team batting throughout most of the season.

Over their last five games the Bullfrogs have scored a total of 44 runs. The runs have not been the result of fielding errors or pitcher's mistakes either.

Green Bay posted 28 hits in the last series and are improved with a marked slugging capability shown in last night's 12-run output. There were seven doubles, and a home run, an exclamation point on an eye-opening performance that captured league headlines.

Yesterday, everyone contributed, and with Duarte in the middle of the order, Donovan hitting sixth, and on-base machines like Ty Blankmeyer batting ninth, that should be a constant in the future.

Eight of nine starters posted an RBI or more yesterday, and all starters also had a run except Mikey Duarte.

Duarte's streak of scoring at least one run was snapped with yesterday's win, an odd game to end a brilliant run considering the relative performances of the rest of the order. Duarte has hit safely in 13 of 17 games.

Once without anyone over .300 that was a regular starter, now the Bullfrogs have four players (Taylor, Paller, Duarte, and Celsi) batting well over that mark and Danny Rosenbaum is sitting at .299.

The pitching will look to catch up. Still with room for more pitchers on the roster, Green Bay starts Connor Donovan who has been excellent as a relief pitcher, but is a bit of an unknown as a starter.

Statistics and prolonged exposure to tense situations indicates that Donovan will be a strike-thrower (22K-8BB), and his six innings against Kalamazoo his last time out, back up a plan from pitching coach Luke Prihoda that might have him in the rotation to end the season.

Garrett Harrison (St. Cloud State) has been the only starter who has not been pulled under five innings and has a possibility for an all-star bid (maybe starting pitcher duties too) with a 3-1/1.10ERA/ 40 2/3/37K-11BB slash line. He starts Sunday against Kenosha.

Kenosha Back On Winning Track

The second half has developed as a near replication of the first, with Kenosha, Green Bay, and Madison vying for the top spot.

Having endured a 2-8 stretch from June 19-28, the Kingfish are a league-best 9-2 in the second half, with a recent split against the Madison Mallards.

Like the Bullfrogs, the Kingfish brought out the lumber at their home park last night. They totaled 18 hits, on 14 runs, and beat a Madison team that has also been one of the best in the Northwoods this summer.

Watch out for Eric Filia (UCLA) who is up to .325 this campaign and went 3-for-6 with three runs last game. Jason Scholl (EIU) supplemented more offense in the middle-of-the-order with three hits and two runs with five RBI against the Mallards.

Kenosha hits .267 as a team with 33 HR and a slugging of .383. They do not have a regular starter with an average below .235, and five starters sport averages .290 or higher.

Kenosha is managed by long-time big leaguer, Duffy Dyer, and like Skip Handelsman is a returner to the club in his second season.

This is the first series between the Bullfrogs and Kingfish from Simmons Field, and game time is slated for 6:05PM CST with a pre-game show on WOCO 107.1FM beginning at 5:55PM.

Single game tickets are on sale now. Visit www.greenbaybullfrogs.com to purchase tickets. The Bullfrogs' business hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.




Images from this story

Connor Donovan of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
Connor Donovan of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
   



Northwoods League Stories from July 11, 2015


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