Whitehall loses to Beef River, swept by Tilden

Immediately after snapping an eight-game losing streak, the Whitehall Whitetails find themselves in the midst of a four-game skid. 

Whitehall won its first six games of the season before dropping eight straight. That streak ended with a win in the first game of a July 12 doubleheader. However, Whitehall lost the second game that day, then fell in three games last week, losing to Beef River 6-5 on Wednesday before being outscored 16-1 in a twin-bill against Tilden on Sunday.

The Whitetails were 7-11 overall and in fourth place in the Chippewa River Baseball League South Division at the start of this week. Whitehall is the defending Wisconsin Baseball Association Class B state champion, but might find itself out of the playoff picture this year. According to the Wisconsin Baseball Association bylaws, playoff qualification is based on the team’s record. Whitehall has one game remaining on the schedule as it plays the Eau Claire Bears at Cinder City Park on Wednesday. 

Beef River 6 Whitehall 5

The Whitetails were two outs away from the win, but a hit batter sparked the Bullfrogs.

Whitehall entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a 5-4 lead, and Brayden Lisowski struck out the first batter. However, Lisowski hit the next batter before Cal Barneson singled home the tying run. Lisowski recorded a flyout for the second out of the inning, but Wesley Boyarski singled Barneson home to give Beef River the walk-off win. 

The road team got off to a fast start with four runs in the first inning. Brock Sluga got the scoring started with an RBI single before Mason Pientok was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Lisowski drove in two runs with a single.

Beef River answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, and the score stood at 4-2 until the top of the sixth, when Tavian Shramek led off the inning with a home run. 

The Bullfrogs chipped away with one run in the sixth and another in the seventh before pulling ahead for the win with two in the ninth.

Shramek had two of Whitehall’s six hits. 

Devon McCune was the starting pitcher for Whitehall and allowed one earned run on six hits and one walk while striking out six in seven innings. Lisowski took the loss, striking out three while allowing three hits and two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Whitehall committed five errors in the game.

Tilden 7 Whitehall 1

The Tigers broke the game open in the fourth and fifth innings, while Whitehall struggled at the plate.

The game was scoreless until Tilden put up four runs in the top of the fourth. They added three more in the fifth.

Mason Pientok hit a solo home run in the sixth, but Whitehall managed just three hits in the game.

Shramek started for Whitehall, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out three over three scoreless innings. Tyler Webb took the loss after pitching 1 2/3 innings and allowing seven earned runs on five hits and four walks. Pientok finished the game. The trio combined to allow 10 hits and eight walks while striking out seven.

Tilden 9 Whitehall 0

The Tigers had two big innings, and the Whitetails couldn’t respond. 

Tilden scored three runs in the second inning and five in the third. The team added one more in the seventh, while Whitehall managed just four hits in the game.

Chris Killian took the loss for Whitehall, pitching the first three innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and one walk, while striking out two. Lisowski and Alex Sartor both pitched two frames, each allowing two hits and one walk. Lisowski struck out two, and Sartor allowed one run. 

Four different Whitehall players had one hit.