Northwoods Green Bay Rockers

Second Home Series of the Season Set with St. Cloud Rox

May 28, 2015 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Green Bay Rockers News Release


Sam Brunner of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
Sam Brunner of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
(Green Bay Rockers)

Green Bay, Wis.- Left-handed pitcher, Jack Silberman (Eckerd College), will start tonight for the Bullfrogs as they battle the St. Cloud Rox for a two-game series from May 28-29 at Joannes Stadium. Skip Handelsman's club enters with a record of 1-1, after splitting the opening pair against South Division foe, La Crosse. Despite six errors, the Bullfrogs pounded out nine hits and nine runs to defeat the La Crosse Loggers yesterday, 9-3, in the Bullfrogs first victory of the season.

One of the Sunshine State Conference's most accurate pitchers, junior Jack Silberman walked only nine opponents in 52 2/3 IP for the Eckerd College Tritons. He will face a St. Cloud Rox team that scored 13 runs in an opening night win against the Kenosha Kingfish. The Rox leading batter is Colorado Mesa University's Kyle Serrano who has posted three hits in eight at-bats with three RBI.

Offensively the Bullfrogs come in after a nine-run output in which six hitters recorded at least one hit. Table-setter, senior Caleb Ratzman (Illinois State), slammed two hits and scored a run, as did designated hitter, junior Alex Martinez (De Anza College).

After the Wednesday night game was tied 1-1 through three innings, Ryan Donovan quickly cemented himself as the offensive player of the game. Making up for a hitless debut, the former Wisconsin Woodchuck belted a towering two-run home run in the fourth inning splitting the 332' post in right field.

"It was a 3-1 count and I was thinking away the whole game," said Donovan of the home run shot. "But as soon as I saw that inside pitch, I turned on it. Skip and Buster talked to us a lot about us working counts and a lot of us battled counts and that's why we put up nine runs on the board."

Donovan finished with two hits, a walk, and three RBI. Green Bay added two more runs in the fifth and sixth frames, and waved around four scores in the seventh to cap off a thorough offensive display.

Green Bay's pitching staff heads into action against St. Cloud relatively well positioned. Starters Garrett Harrison (LHP/St. Cloud State) and Mike Ellenbest (RHP/Saginaw Valley State) combined for 13 2/3 IP in their debuts including just 2ER and 10 strikeouts. Their long starts allowed Green Bay to just throw three relief arms against La Crosse in two games. Neither Jeremy Graf (Flagler), Ben Messenger (UW-Oshkosh), or Sam Brunner (Dayton) tossed more than two innings, together they accumulated 4 1/3 IP, and surrendered no runs.

"Mike Ellenbest gave us a good start and worked down in the strike zone. He pitched around some questionable defense. Overall he was outstanding," said Field Manager Skip Handelsman. "Sam Brunner is certainly a guy we can trust and rely on. And Ben Messenger is definitely a guy that could log some innings for us this summer."

Green Bay's third and fourth contests of the campaign against St. Cloud are both slated for 6:35PM first pitches at Joannes Stadium. The Bullfrogs then play the Lakeshore Chinooks for two games, May 30-31.

Green Bay Bullfrogs group tickets, season tickets and 7-game packages are on sale now. The Bullfrogs hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. For more information please visit www.greenbaybullfrogs.com.




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Sam Brunner of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
Sam Brunner of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
   



Northwoods League Stories from May 28, 2015


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