In American Legion Baseball last night, Manitowoc Post 88 jumped out to an early lead but would need some late-game heroics to edge visiting Germantown 7-6 at Municipal Field.
Manager Kevin Stangel’s ballclub tallied 1 run in the first inning, plated 4 in the second, and another in the fifth for what seemed like a commanding lead.
But, Germantown would answer with a 5 spot in the 6th and then tied the game with a run in the top of the 7th.
That set the scene for an exciting finish in the bottom half of the inning as Kiel’s Dan Schmitz led off with a triple to the right-centerfield gap and he was promptly driven in by a Reece Stangel sacrifice fly.
Brandon Stephany, also of Kiel, picked up the win in relief of starter Ashton Portmann.
The recent Lincoln grad worked the first 6 innings, allowing 9 hits and 3 earned runs with 4 strikeouts and no walks.
Offensively, Schmitz went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, while Stangel, the former Jets athlete, went 1 for 1 and reached base 3 times on a hit by pitch and a walk, scored twice, and delivered a pair of RBI.
Hilbert’s Ridge Guyette added a double and 2 runs batted in for Manitowoc, which takes a 1 and 1 record to Sheboygan for its’ next game this evening.
