Waterloo splits weekend tilts with VFW, Lakers
Waterloo wrapped up a bipolar weekend of Mon-Clair League action by splitting a twin bill on the road against Valmeyer Sunday.
The Millers dropped the opener 13-10 to the home side. Andy Galle took the loss for Waterloo, while Brodie Thoma got the win for the Lakers on the hill. Valmeyer raced out to a 7-2 lead, but the Millers scored six in the top of the fifth to go on top 8-2. The Lakers scored three in the bottom of the frame, but Waterloo again bounced back to tie with a pair in the top of the sixth, but three more by the home side in the bottom of the inning put the game out of reach.
Scott Rohlfing went 4-for4, Joel Greatting went 3-for-5 and Chris Rohlfing went 3-for-4 for the Lakers, who finished with 16 hits, one more than the visitors. Waterloo got a 3-for-4 performance from third baseman Jeff Schwierjon.
“Galle hadn’t pitched in about three weeks and he was a little bit rusty,” Waterloo pitcher Corey Blackwell said. “We made three errors in the middle innings. We tied it at 10-10, but they scored three more and we just couldn’t overcome that.
“Our defense let us down midway through the game and gave them a big inning, but overall it seemed like it was going to come down to whoever hit last, and unfortunately for us it was them. It was pretty much a slugfest. We did a good job of coming back, but we just couldn’t come back enough times.”
Waterloo won the nightcap 3-2 in nine innings behind a strong performance by veteran pitcher Brandon Musso, who went seven before handing the ball to reliever Joseph Phelps.
“They were up 2-0 and we scored two in the sixth to tie it and then we scored in the ninth to win,” Blackwell said. “Musso pitched a hell of a game. He gave up those couple of runs, but he hung in there and gave us a chance to win. He pitched out of some really big situations and kept giving us a chance.
“Definitely his experience helps. When you have been doing it for as long as he has, he has been there and done that, and he came up big today.”
Blackwell saw the weekend get off in rough fashion firsthand, lasting five innings in Waterloo’s 12-2 mercy-shortened loss to Millstadt at home Saturday. Millstadt southpaw Alex Kollack got the win.
“We went up 1-0 in the second, but in the third they got five unearned runs and kind of took control from there,” Blackwell said. “It just changed the whole complexion of the game. They took advantage of a defensive miscue and it led to a big inning.”
Millstadt tacked on one more in the fourth and two in the fifth before closing the game with four in the sixth against reliever Brandon Waeltz. It was more than enough for Kollack and the improving VFW.
“They definitely have a good ballclub,” Blackwell said. “They are greatly improved. They have some good young ballplayers over there. It might be only three new guys or so, but those guys are very good ballplayers and they have made a difference over there.
“They are pretty solid and they have Kollack pitching for them now too, and he is a good pitcher. He isn’t necessarily overpowering, he just pitches. He moves it in and out, up and down, changes speed. It is what you are supposed to do.”
Waterloo won game two 9-6. After falling behind 2-0 in the first, the Millers got three in the second and two in the third to take a 5-2 lead, but Chad Helton evened the score with a three-run home run in the top of the fourth. Waterloo bounced back with three of their own in the home half of the inning and kept Millstadt at arm’s length thereafter.
Veteran catcher Chas Wigger went 2-for3 for the Millers, as did young shortstop Sam Wahlig. Mark Mueller went the distance to get the victory.
“We were down early and we got it back,” Blackwell said. “They hit that three-run homer to tie it, but we played a little bit better ball in that game. You have to give them credit for battling back. The big thing for us was not folding when they tied it. We got the lead and held on.
“They were both actually pretty sloppy games. I know the first one was and we didn’t necessarily play very well in the second one either.”
The Millers were in danger of losing the momentum created by their victory in the Valmeyer Mid-Summer Classic July 5, but with some dry weather and the sound of “Play ball,” all should be well again in Waterloo for the 28-time defending Monroe Division champs.
“I think what happened is that we got rained out and didn’t play for a week and a half,” Blackwell said. “We didn’t play during the week this week and then we had four games on the weekend and I think we are just rusty. We are coming near the end here and we probably have some guys who are tired, but I think it is rust more than anything and that layoff hurt us.
“We have some younger ballplayers and I think they need more repetition than some of the older guys do and I think that has hurt. They need to play more often. We played four now and hopefully we can get back to where we were. We definitely aren’t playing good baseball right now.”
