The Maunesha River Rats are getting a taste of just how hard it is to win in the Dairyland Collegiate League. When we last checked in on the Rats, they were battling a three-game losing streak. In the past week, that slump had now skidded to seven straight losses, dropping Maunesha to the bottom of the standings at 4-10.
The River Rats played four games in as many days, starting with an 8-0 road loss to the Waukesha Foxes on Wednesday, June 26. The next day, Maunesha returned home to host Johnson Creek, which handed the Rats a 9-4 loss. To cap the week off, Maunesha hosted league-leading Lakeside for a doubleheader on Saturday, June 29. The Beach Bums reinforced their spot atop the standings with wins of 4-2 and 5-3.
Wednesday’s trip over to Carroll University’s Frame Park to face Waukesha was a rough one. Starting pitcher Alex Oddo (Waubonsee College) allowed three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but recovered nicely to keep the Foxes off the board for the next four innings. Things fell apart in the bottom of the seventh inning as Oddo’s replacement allowed four runs.
The lone offensive highlight of the game came from outfielder John Hadley VI (UW-Milwaukee). He was the only River Rat to get multiple hits, going 2-3 with a pair of doubles. Keli Grennier (McHenry County College) also nabbed a pair of stolen bases.
Things looked a bit brighter in the following day’s home matchup with Johnson Creek. Maunesha again had to dig itself out of a hole as the visiting Mapaches scored two runs in both the top of the second and third innings. Maunesha didn’t come to life until the bottom of the eighth inning, where it scored three runs to narrow the deficit to 4-3. As a response, Johnson Creek scored five in the top of the ninth to put the game far out of reach.
Grennier, Seth Koci (Grand Valley State University), and Cole Bush (Baldwin Wallace University) all contributed RBIs. James Love (Eastern Illinois University) came in to score twice while Jaiden Junh (Milwaukee Area Tech) and Nick Guidici (Parkland College) both scored once. Lincoln Becker (NIAAC) also added a double.
After taking Friday off, the River Rats brought a strong challenge to their doubleheader against Lakeside on Saturday, June 29. Again, the Bums struck first with two runs in both the top of the second and third innings. Relief pitcher Alek Zdziarski (Edgewood College) shut the Beach Bums down from there, allowing only one more hit with no further scoring.
The River Rats’ only spark of offense came in the bottom of the fifth inning. There, Koci bashed a two-run single, bringing both Love and Jackson Burk (UW-Whitewater) in to score. This was one of Maunesha’s two hits on the day.
Maunesha again started slow in the second game of the doubleheader as Lakeside scored all five of its runs in the bottom of the first inning. The River Rats attempted to climb back with two runs in the top of the third inning and one more in the top of the fifth, but the effort fell short in the 5-3 loss.
The River Rats, who haven’t won a game since June 14, will hope for better luck in July. Up next is a home game against the Wisconsin Cheese Kings on Tuesday, July 2. They’ll then celebrate Independence Day on Thursday, July 4 by hosting Northshore. To close the week, Maunesha will take on the Cheese Kings once again, this time at their place down in Janesville.
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Dairyland Collegiate League standings
-as of Sunday, June 30
1. Lakeside, 12-1
2. Waukesha, 8-5
3. Northshore, 6-7
4. Johnson Creek, 5-7
5. Cheese Kings, 4-9
6. Maunesha, 4-10
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