Merchants take down Pittsville, Merrill
By Nathaniel Underwood
The Abbotsford Merchants improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Dairyland League play over the last week, bouncing back from two consecutive losses by picking up wins over Merrill and Pittsville.
Pittsville, 9-1
Jace Apfelbeck pitched seven innings of one-run ball, Blake Bargender and Trevor Stuttgen both went 3-for-4 at the plate and the Merchants defeated the Pittsville River Bandits 9-1 at Red Arrow Park on Sunday afternoon.
It was a solid performance from the Abbotsford starting pitcher, who only surrendered four hits while striking out five batters and inducing plenty of ground balls. The Merchants defense backed up Apfelbeck, their sole error in the contest not proving very costly.
The same could not be said for the River Bandits, who struggled to adequately deal with aggressive baserunning by the Merchants. With the score tied 1-1 in the fourth inning, Abbotsford made their opponents pay for their defensive lapses. Bargender started the inning off with a single and was able to advance to second on a wild pitch. A ground ball out advanced the Merchants’ catcher to third and he was initially caught in between bases on another ground ball by Harley Schmelzer. A bad throw to the plate allowed Bargender to score the go ahead run, however, and Schmelzer was also safe on the play.
Abbotsford was not finished yet, as their aggressive baserunning once again forced a misplay from the River Bandits. A single courtesy of Stuttgen pushed Schmelzer to third and, with runners on the corners, a double-steal was in play. Pittsville fumbled the cutoff throw, allowing Schmelzer to score with ease and giving the Merchants a 3-1 advantage.
A leadoff double by Aaron Morrow in the sixth led to a fourth run for Abbotsford and the Merchants blew the game open with a five-run eighth inning. A two-RBI single by Apfelbeck gave the home team a bit more breathing room, Bargender came through with a bases loaded single to drive in another run and two more runners were able to score on wild pitches to draw Abbotsford’s lead out to eight runs.
Payton Schreiber closed the door in the top of the ninth, not allowing a hit and sealing the Merchants’ 9-1 win.
While only one of Abbotsford’s 11 hits went for extra bases, they were able to put pressure on the River Bandits with their speed on the basepaths. The Merchants stole a total of 12 bases in the victory, getting into scoring position despite a lack of power at the plate.
Apfelbeck earned the win, pitching seven- and-a-third innings while giving up one run on four hits and four walks and striking out five. Schreiber ended the game on the mound, tossing one-and two-thirds innings, striking out one and walking one.
Bargender and Stuttgen both ended the game with three singles to lead the offense, with Bargender scoring twice and collecting an RBI while Stuttgen came home once and knocked in one run. Bargender also stole two bases while Stuttgen swiped three.
Apfelbeck was the only batter with multiple RBIs, ending the game with two while also stealing two bases. Chase Clement stole two bases as well and Schmelzer ended the day with three stolen bases.
Merrill, 8-5
Payton Schreiber hit two doubles, Aaron Morrow put up the go-ahead after scoring on a wild pitch in the seventh inning and the Merchants outlasted the Merrill Rangers on the road last Wednesday, defeating them 8-5 in a come from behind victory.
A big seventh inning turned the tides in Abbotsford’s favor. After an RBI-double
See MERCHANT WINS/ Page 11
SWEET SWING - Trevor Stuttgen hits a single in the Merchants’ 9-1 victory over the Pittsville River Bandits on Sunday. He went 3-for-4 from the plate in the win.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
SMOOTH PLAY AT SHORT - After making a charging play on a slow ground ball, Payton Schreiber flings the ball across the diamond to get the out. He also had two key doubles in the Merchants win against Merrill earlier in the week.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
NOT GETTING BY ME - Aaron Morrow makes the play after gathering a bunt in the third inning against Pittsville for the first out of the inning. While one run would eventually come around to score, the Merchants were able to limit the damage and eventually came out on top to notch their first Dairlyland League win of the season.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD Merchant wins
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from Schreiber tied the game in the prior frame, the Merchants were able to put up a crooked number in the top of the seventh to pull away from their hosts.
Morrow started the inning with a leadoff single and then Abbotsford was able to draw a pair of walks to load the bases. The visitors took the lead in the next at-bat after a wild pitch allowed Morrow to score and Lucas Stahnke was able to expand the lead with another single for the Merchants, driving in a second run. Now at third, Jase Apfelbeck was able to come home on a passed ball and a double courtesy of Blake Bargender plated Stahnke, an exclamation point to cap off the four-run effort from Abbotsford.
Blake Jakobi, who came on to pitch four relief innings of one-run ball for the Merchants, kept the Rangers off the board in the bottom of the seventh and the eighth. While Merrill was finally able to get to him in the bottom of the ninth, Payton Schreiber came on to close out the game, striking out the first two batters he faced and only allowing one of his three inherited base runners to score.
It was a back and forth opening to the contest, with the Merchants taking an early lead after Jakobi was able to score on an error by Merrill in the first inning but the Rangers tying things up in the third. Schreiber’s first double of the day gave the Merchants runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth and thanks to a wild pitch and an error by Merrill, both were able to score. Morrow, who started on the mound for Abbotsford, ran into trouble in the fifth, giving up surrendering runs and giving the Rangers their first lead of the day. It was not long lived however, as Schreiber’s RBI double in the next frame once again tied the game.
Jakobi earned the win, going four innings for the Merchants while giving up one run on five hits and five walks and striking out three. Morrow also went four innings, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks and striking out one batter.
Schreiber was the only Merchants’ batter with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Stahnke went 1-for-4, scored three times and had an RBI, Bargender was also 1-for-4 with an RBI and Morrow was 1-for-3 with a run scored. Jase Apfelbeck also had a hit and scored a run.
The Merchants are back in action this Saturday, June 29, when they head to Tomahawk to take on the Titans for a Dairyland League contest. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
IMPRESSIVE START - Jase Apfelbeck unleashes a strike against the River Bandits on Sunday. The Merchants starter tossed seven and a third innings and earned the win after giving up just one run.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
