Burlington falls to East Troy in three-game Grand Championship series
By Mike Ramczyk
The Burlington Barons and East Troy Express needed 13 innings Sunday afternoon to determine a Land O’ Lakes Grand Champion.
After losing Saturday, the Barons bounced back Sunday to tie the three-game series before the marathon night cap.
In a classic back-and-forth baseball game, the Express overcame six errors and scored two runs in the 13th to edge Burlington, 5-4, for the series victory and LOL championship.
Burlington player/manager Ryan Hoffman said it was an excellent series despite the final outcome.
“It was a long weekend but some very good baseball was played,” Hoffman said. “Game 3 was exactly what you want a championship game to be, 13 innings of very good baseball.”
The 31-inning, two day series culminated with the winner-take-all game, which began at approximately 2:35 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Burlington’s Beaumont Field, which hosted all three games since East Troy’s field was deemed unplayable due to rainy conditions for Saturday’s game one.
Mac Shepherd started game three for the Barons and took a no-hitter into the fifth, as the Barons led 2-1 through four innings.
Shepherd surrendered a run on a controversial balk call that Hoffman described as “terrible” in the fourth. East Troy’s Mitch Windle got the team’s first hit and drove in a run in the sixth before Shepherd had to leave with leg cramps.
Zach Campbell and Cal Tully, two members of Burlington High School’s state champion baseball squad back in June, pitched in relief.
“Zach and Cal both pitched great,” Hoffman said.
East Troy built a 3-2 lead and was on the cusp of victory, but Burlington wasn’t done.
In the ninth, after the first two batters were retired, Dylan Friend and Paul Archambault singled.
Then, Dane Helnore’s single scored Friend to tie the game.
After Taylor Meseberg walked to load the bases, Tully’s pop out to the pitcher sent the game to extra innings.
Tully redeemed himself with three scoreless innings before East Troy scored two runs off two doubles and a single in the 13th.
Down 5-3, the Barons cut it to 5-4 as Archambault reached first base on a dropped third strike and Colton Tisch scored.
Meseberg struck out to end the game.
“Overall both teams played really well in the series,” Hoffman said.
“We had many opportunities late in the game but just couldn’t come up with a hit with runners in scoring position.”
Friend went 3-for-7 to lead the Barons, while Tisch and Archambault each added two hits.
Shepherd allowed one earned run in 5-2/3 innings and struck out eight, and Campbell gave up one earned run in 2-2/3 with four strikeouts.
Tully surrendered two earned runs in 4-2/3 innings.
Burlington 5, East Troy 1
In the Barons’ game two win, Karl Richter fired a complete game masterpiece.
“Karl was outstanding, again,” Hoffman said.
Richter scattered nine hits over nine innings and allowed only one earned run.
Tisch, Archambault, Helnore and Adam Walkowski each tallied two hits for the Barons.
Meseberg added a hit and two RBIs, and Shepherd, Friend and Tully each added one hit.
East Troy 4, Burlington 1
In a game that was supposed to be in East Troy but was moved to Beaumont Field in Burlington due to rainy conditions, the Express scored three runs in the fourth inning to grab an early lead.
The Express added another run in the sixth.
Burlington scored its lone run in the seventh.
Mark Wallace started for the Barons and allowed four earned runs in seven innings.
Campbell struck out one and gave up a hit in one inning of relief.
Burlington totaled four hits, one each from Tisch, Meseberg, Tully and Friend.
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