Abby doused by Trojan’s late inning surge

By Nathaniel Underwood

The Abbotsford Merchants suffered two defeats in a pair of rematches over the past week, losing to Pittsville on the road last Wednesday in an exhibition game before falling to Westboro at home in a league game on Friday evening. Abbotsford had come out on top the first time they played both teams earlier in the season, defeating both squads handily, but could not pull off the season sweeps.

Westboro, 8-7

Abbotsford took a tough loss at home on Friday afternoon, suffering an 8-7 defeat at the hands of Dairyland rival Westboro. After jumping out to a 7-0 lead, the Merchants were not able to hang on in the final third of the game, surrendering eight runs in the final three innings.

Jase Apfelbeck started on the mound for Abbotsford and kept the visiting Trojans off the scoreboard through the first six innings. The solid defensive showing from the Merchants in the first half of the contest allowed them to build a significant lead.

The home team broke through in the third, having four consecutive batters reach safely. Harley Schmelzer got on board with a oneout walk and then promptly stole second. A single from JV Castillo moved him over to third and Blake Bargender was able to draw a walk to load the bases. Payton Schreiber came through for the Merchants, driving in Schmelzer and Castillo and giving Abbotsford a 2-0 lead.

A four-run fifth seemed to give the Merchants control over the contest. Castillo and Bargender started the inning off with a pair of singles and Schreiber once again came up clutch, smacking a double to left center to drive in Castillo. With the bases loaded and two-outs, Trevor Stuttgen hit another double to plate two more runs for Abbotsford and Aaron Morrow followed with a single to expand the home team’s lead out to six.

Castillo scored his third run of the game in the bottom of the sixth on a pop out and the Merchants held a 7-0 advantage heading into the seventh.

Free passes would hurt the home team in the final three innings. Three straight walks loaded the bases in the seventh and the Trojans were able to get on the board with an infield single. A follow-up double knocked in two more and a fourth runner was able to come home on a fielder’s choice to bring Westboro back into the contest.

While the Merchants held their opponents scoreless in the eighth, two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Trojans in the ninth with no outs. A second hit batsman brought home another run and an infield single made it 7-6. A sacrifice fly tied the game and another walk plus a passed ball gave Westboro its first lead of the contest. In all, the visitors scored four runs in the final inning on just a single infield hit.

Abbotsford mounted a rally in the ninth, getting runners on first and second with just one out, but a pop out and a strikeout ended their chances.

Apfelbeck went six-and-a-third innings for the Merchants, striking out nine while scattering five hits and two walks and giving up one run. Mateo Lopez was saddled with the loss, surrendering seven runs, six of which were earned, on three hits and five walks. He also struck out two batters. Schreiber closed out the game, getting all three outs in the ninth while allowing three base runners and striking out two.

The Merchants’ closer also drove in half their runs. Schreiber finished 2-for-5 at the plate with a double and four RBIs. JV Castillo reached base safely in four of his five plate appearances, getting two singles and drawing a pair of walks. Stuttgen also had a double and drove in two runs. Schmelzer, Castillo and Lucas Stahnke all had a stolen base.

Pittsville, 11-8

The Merchants were able to rack up 11 hits and eight runs during their Wednesday evening exhibition match against the Pittsville River Bandits, but surrendered 14 walks and 10 hits to their opponents, leading to an 11-8 road defeat.

Five Merchants players ended the day with two hits and were able to string together a number of solid offensive innings, but the River Bandits were consistently able to put on pressure when at the plate. The home Pittsville squad was able to put a base runner on in every inning and came up with runs in five of the eight that they batted in.

Abbotsford continued to start games off with a bang, scoring in the first inning for the fourth straight contest. Mateo Lopez hit a leadoff double and Payton Schreiber was able to drive him in two at-bats later with a single through the infield to give the Merchants an early lead. Trevor Stuttgen followed with another RBI single later in the inning to net the visitors a 2-0 advantage.

The River Bandits evened the score in the bottom of the second, able to turn two walks, a hit batter and a single into two runs. Consecutive singles from Wayne Jakobi and Neal Hogden helped spur the Merchants back to the lead in the fourth, with Lopez coming up with a third single to plate Jakobi and retake the lead.

The tables quickly turned on the Merchants, however, as Pittsville went on to score eight unanswered runs over the next three innings, putting up crooked numbers in the fourth, fifth and sixth. After the River Bandits’ three-run sixth, they held a 10-3 advantage, taking control of the affair.

Abbotsford finally managed an answer in the top of the seventh.

After three consecuond

See MERCHANTS/ Page 16

PLAYING THE HOT CORNER - Lucas Stahnke fields a ground ball on a short hop during the Merchants’ game against Westboro on Friday.

STAFF PHOTO/NEAL HOGDEN

KEEPING THEM HONEST - Pitcher Jase Apfelbeck keeps an eye on a Trojan baserunner. He pitched six-and-a-third strong innings for the Merchants, striking out nine in the process.

STAFF PHOTO/NEAL HOGDEN Merchants

Continued from page 9

tive walks loaded the bases, Lucas Stahnke and Stuttgen came through with back to back RBI singles. Aaron Morrow drove in another run on a fielders’ choice to pull back within four. A double courtesy of Hogden in the ninth tallied two more runs for the Merchants, but they could not quite dig themselves out of the hole they had found themselves in after the middle innings.

Morrow started the game on the mound for the Merchants and was handed the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits and six walks while striking out two over four innings. Schreiber came in for the fifth inning and surrendered three runs on two hits and three walks and Stahnke tossed the sixth and seventh, giving up four runs on four walks and a hit. Only two of his runs were earned and he struck out one batter. Lopez added an inning of work, allowing no hits and a walk in the eighth.

Lopez, Schreiber, and Stuttgen all went 2-for-4 at the plate and Stahnke and Hogden picked up a pair of hits as well. Hogden and Stuttgen both had two RBIs each and Lopez and Blake Bargender scored two runs apiece. Stuttgen, Stahnke and Lopez each stole a base.

The pair of losses drops the Merchants to 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the Dairyland League. Their next game will be at home against Augusta on Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m.