The Buckman Billygoats took over sole possession of 1st place in the B Division in the Victory League with a 4-1 win over the Sobieski Skis on Saturday.
Matt Tautges battled through the 90+ degree heat to fire a Complete Game 5-hitter, recording 9 strikeouts. Andrew Rueckert led the offense by going 3-4 with a double, 2 rbi, a stolen base and scored a run.
Buckman put up 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st when Matt Tautges led off with a single, followed by a walk to Lane Girtz. Ben Thoma then singled past 3rd base to drive in Tautges to make it 1-0. The Skis got their first out when Girtz was throw out at 3rd trying to advance on a wild pitch but was thrown out by Skis catcher Hudson Filippi. Andrew Rueckert then singled to left to score Thoma to put the Goats up 2-0.
Offense was hard to come by from that point on as both Matt Tautges of Buckman and Matt Filippi of Sobieski kept the score right where it was at.
Sobieski finally cut the lead to 1 in the top of the 6th when Beau Thoma led off by reaching on an error, followed by Tautges hitting Matt Filippi with a pitch. Collin Kray then singled to load the bases with no outs. Then in hindsight, Tautges got maybe the biggest out of the game when a foul pop up by Jake Kapphahn appeared to be out of play, but the wind brought the ball back into the field of play and catcher matt Kummet had just enough room near the backstop to make the catch for the 1st out. Collin Eckman then flew out to center for a sacrifice fly, scoring Beau Thoma to make it 2-1. Matt Tautges then fanned Hudson Filippi to end the inning.
But Buckman got that run right back in the bottom of the 6th when Ben Thoma got hit in the elbow by a Matt Filippi pitch and moved to 2nd on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Kummet. Andrew Rueckert then doubled to left-center to score Thoma and make it 3-1 after 6 innings.
Matt Tautges was able to work around a lead-off double by Alex Thoma in the 7th with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to 3rd baseman Reese Young.
Buckman then put together another scoring chance in the bottom of the 7th when Andy Winscher led off with a single to left and Reese Young sacrificed him to 2nd. After a walk to Matt Tautges, Sobieski brought in Beau Thoma to relieve Matt Filippi and Thoma got Lane Girtz to fly out to right and Ben Thoma to pop up to center to end the inning.
Matt Filippi led off the 8th with a sharp single to right, but Tautges then got Collin Kray to line out to center fielder Andrew Rueckert, he struck out Jake Kapphahn and got Collin Eckman to ground out to Lane Girtz at shortstop.
The Billygoats then added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th when Andrew Rueckert singled with 1 out, then stole 2nd and went to 3rd when the throw sailed into center field.. Rueckert then scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Jack Suska to make it 4-1 after 8 innings.
In the top of the 9th, Alex Thoma reached on a 1-out error, but Matt Tautges finished the game with a strikeout of Owen Bode and a Matt Baier fly out to center to give the Billygoats the 4-1 win.
Buckman not only owns a half game lead over the Skis in the standings, but they also swept them during the season with an 11-3 win in Sobieski on May 25th and Saturday’s 4-1 win.
Sobieski 1 5 1 – 1
Buckman 4 7 2 – 4
WP: Matt Tautges 9.0IP 1 run 5 hits 9k 1bb 1hp
LP: Matt Filippi 6.1IP 3 runs 5 hits 3k 3bb 2hp
Beau Thoma 1.2IP 1 run 2 hits 1k 0bb
Billygoats:
Matt Tautges 1-3 bb, run
– Rylan Robinson 0-0
Lane Girtz 0-3 bb
Ben Thoma 1-2 2hp, rbi, 2 runs
Matt Kummet 0-3 sac
Andrew Rueckert 3-4 2B, sb, 2 rbi, run
Jack Suska 0-3 sac fly, rbi
Grady Young 1-4
– Kyle Winscher 0-0
Andy Winscher 1-4
Reese Young 0-1 sac, bb, sb
Skis:
Beau Thoma 1-4 run
Matt Filippi 1-3 hp
Collin Kray 2-4 sb
Jake Kapphahn 0-4
Collin Eckman 0-3 sac fly, rbi
Hudson Filippi 0-4
Alex Thoma 1-4 2B
Owen Bode 0-3 bb, sb
Matt Baier 0-4
