Opole’s Sam Butler was outstanding, firing a Complete Game 5-hit shutout and Keaton Gustin bashed a 2-run Homer in the top of the 7th as the Opole Bears blanked the Pierz Lakers 2-0 at Hellie Field on Sunday.
Scoring chances were few and far between in this game as Chase Becker started on the mound for the Lakers and threw 6 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 8 before giving way to Preston Rocheleau in the 7th. Only 1 time did a runner advance as far as 3rd base for either team and that was in the bottom of the 3rd when Kolten Happke of the Lakers led off with a double to center and moved to 3rd on a ground ball back to the mound, but Sam Butler stranded Happke there with a pop up to 3rd baseman Tate Lange to end the inning. That’s as close as the Lakers came to scoring all game against Butler. He retired the final 7 batters he faced and 12 of the final 14 overall.
Meanwhile, Opole wasn’t faring any better against Chase Becker. They got a pair of 2-out walks in the 1st but then a shoestring catch by centerfielder Ryan Chmielewski ended that innings. Opole then had only 3 men reach base until the 7th against the Pierz lefty, and 1 of those was erased on a double play in the 4th and none of the 3 even advanced to 2nd base.
In the top of the 7th with Preston Rocheleau taking over for Chase Becker on the mound, Rocheleau walked Opole’s Luke Bieniek to open the inning and then Keaton Gustin smashed a line-drive 2-run Home Run to left to put Opole ahead 2-0. The Bears would get only 1 more baserunner the rest of the game, and that came on a 1-out walk in the 7th as Rocheleau finished the game by retiring the last 8 men he faced.
Opole 2 4 0 – 2
Pierz Lakers 0 5 0 – 0
WP: Sam Butler 9IP 0 runs 5 hits 7k 3bb
LP: Preston Rocheleau 3IP 2 runs 1 hit 4k 2bb
Chase Becker 6IP 0 runs 3 hits 8k 2bb
Bears:
Drew Lange 0-4
Brodi Huls 1-4
Alex Lange 0-3 bb
Luke Bieniek 1-2 2bb, run
Keaton Gustin 1-4 Hr, 2 rbi, run
Tate Lange 0-4
Masyn Patrick 1-2 bb
Jordan Schmitz 0-2
– Dierks Opatz 0-1
Sam Butler 0-3
Lakers:
Chase Becker 0-4
Ryan Chmielewski 0-3 bb
Brady Petron 1-3 bb
Ryan Diers 0-4
– Kirby Fischer
Carter Petron 1-4
Kamden Happke 1-4
Noah Cekalla 0-3
Preston Rocheleau 0-2 bb
Kolten Happke 2-3 2B