Eagles, Storm Stay Undefeated in Packerland

Southern Door’s Tyler Neinas (4) delivers a pitch in the first game of Tuesday’s Packerland Conference baseball doubleheader against Oconto. Photo by Kevin Boneske.

The stage is set for a first-place baseball showdown in the Packerland Conference after the two undefeated teams in league play swept their doubleheaders on Tuesday and will face each other next Monday, weather permitting.

Southern Door remained undefeated in the conference after winning both of its home games over Oconto.

In game one, the Eagles defeated the Blue Devils in six innings, 13-3.

Oconto plated a run in the top of the first, before the Eagles’ Christian Counard singled to drive in two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.

Southern Door added three more runs to extend its lead to 5-1 lead in the bottom of the second, which featured a two-run homer by Derek Schinktgen.

Oconto responded with two runs in the top of the third to cut its deficit to 5-3. 

The Eagles took control of the game with five runs in the fifth inning, before ending the contest via the 10-run rule with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Southern Door’s 14-hit attack was led by Alec Guilette and Tyler Neinas with three hits apiece. Neinas drove in four runs on his two doubles and a single. Jack Peterson, Jaden Diller and Counard added two hits each.

Neinas also recorded the complete-game pitching victory, allowing only three hits and giving up two walks over six innings when he struck out eight.

The second game was tightly contested, with the Eagles picking up a 4-3 victory.

Counard gave Southern Door a 1-0 lead in the second inning when he scored after a leadoff double. Peterson extended the Eagles’ lead to 2-0 in the top of the third by leading off with a solo home run.

Oconto scored a run in the fourth inning to cut the lead in half, before the Eagles responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth with a Neinas RBI double and a Diller RBI single for a 4-1 advantage.

The Blue Devils battled to the end in the seventh inning when Conner Christensen led off with a triple. Diller relieved Counard at that point, and though Oconto’s rally continued, Diller preserved the 4-3 win with a strikeout, leaving the tying run stranded at third base.

Counard, who pitched six-plus innings in recording the victory, gave up three hits and a walk with a hit batter while striking out 10.

Southern Door, which improved its season record to 10-0 in the Packerland and 11-1 overall, travels Saturday to Winneconne for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 11 am. 

The Eagles then travel Monday to Kewaunee for a showdown with the other remaining undefeated Packerland team. That doubleheader was initially scheduled for May 5, but was postponed due to rainy weather.

The Storm improved to 12-0 in league play Tuesday after sweeping Gibraltar/Washington Island in a twin bill at Fish Creek.

The Vikings lost the first game to Kewaunee, 10-1.

Gibraltar/Washington Island trailed 8-0 before scoring its only run in the bottom of the fifth. 

Jack Duffy, Aidan Purinton and Rylan Caldecott each singled to record the Vikings’ only three hits off of Storm pitcher Cal Ihlenfeldt, who tossed the complete-game victory.

Noah Greene pitched the first three innings and took the loss for Gibraltar/Washington Island.

The Vikings dropped the second game, 9-1.

Gibraltar/Washington Island’s only run came in the top of the sixth on a solo homer by Brady Kita, who also accounted for two of the team’s three hits.

The Vikings, who dropped to 6-4 in the league, play non-conference games Friday at Mishicot and Saturday at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton against Kewaunee before resuming their Packerland schedule Monday with a home doubleheader against Peshtigo.