Whitetails struggle at the plate in three losses
Chris Killian pitched Whitehall’s first game last week, taking the hill against Osseo on Saturday. The Whitetails struggled offensively, scoring just five runs in three games over the weekend. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
The Whitehall Whitetails scored a total of five runs in three games last weekend, while their opponents scored at least five in each game.
Whitehall was originally scheduled to play on Wednesday, but that game against Osseo was moved to Saturday. The Whitetails couldn’t get going at the plate, falling 7-0. The team was better offensively on the road the next day, but still fell short in the doubleheader, losing to Tilden, 5-3 and 5-2.
The Whitetails finished Chippewa River Baseball League play with a 10-10 record, putting them fourth in the South Division. The Eau Claire Bears won the CRBL South with a 15-5 record, one game better than the Eau Claire Cavaliers. The Cadott Red Sox had the league’s best record, finishing 17-3 and winning the North Division. Chippewa Falls was second in the North with a 13-7 mark. The top two teams in each division will play in a tournament to determine the overall league champion.
The Wisconsin Baseball Association held its playoff seeding meeting on Tuesday of this week. In the most recent Wisconsin Baseball Association Power Rankings — released July 14 — the Whitetails were ranked third in Division B.
Osseo 5 Whitehall 0
The Whitetails managed just six hits in the game as the Merchants pulled away late.
Osseo scored two runs in the top of the second, two more in the fifth then put up three in the seventh.
Whitehall struggled to get a read on Osseo pitchers Lucas Eide and Alex Byom. Eide got the start and struck out eight over six innings. Byom took over in the seventh and struck out four while preserving the shutout. Both pitchers allowed three hits and one walk. Eide is an administrator in the Whitehall School District, and Byom is a Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau graduate who previously played for the Whitehall Wolves.
Chris Killian took the loss for Whitehall. The Independence High School graduate tossed 5 1/3 innings, striking out two while allowing two walks and nine hits. Brayden Lisowski finished the game, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two.
G-E-T graduate, and former Wolves player, Scott Hovell homered for Osseo.
Lisowski had two of Whitehall’s six hits.
Tilden 5 Whitehall 3
Whitehall got more runs across the plate, but still managed just five hits in the loss.
The Whitetails took an early lead with two runs in the top of the second inning, but Tilden matched that in the bottom of the third, then scored two more in the fifth.
Whitehall scored one in the top of the sixth to inch closer, but Tilden got that score back in the bottom half of that inning.
Five different Whitehall players had one hit. Kyle Stein had the team’s only RBI.
Ty Webb got the start and pitched four innings before being replaced by Brandon Sylla. Webb struck out three while allowing five hits and three walks. Sylla surrendered four hits and one walk while striking out one in two innings.
Tilden 5 Whitehall 2
A three-run triple in the bottom of the fourth was the difference.
Brayden Lisowski drove in one run in the second inning and another in the fourth to put Whitehall ahead 2-0, but Tilden answered with five runs in the fourth. Three of those runs scored on a triple as Tilden took a 5-2 lead.
Whitehall managed just four hits in the game and couldn’t get anything going in the final three innings.
Devon McCune took the loss, striking out three while allowing three hits and two walks.
