By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports Editor
The Burlington U-12 Little League All-Star team may have had to go extra innings Tuesday night, but it was worth it.
With a 8-4, seven-inning win over Appleton at Waupun, the squad was 4-0 at the U-12 state tournament. Results from Wednesday against Eau Claire were unavailable.
One team had a game postponed Monday night, and that game will be made up Thursday. However, every other team in the six-team tournament has at least one loss.
“After tonight, this was a big one,” said manager Scott Safar. “We wanted to be 4-0 so we could conserve pitching in the final game.
“I’m feeling winded, but I’m feeling great.”
Burlington was down 1-0 for most of the game before scoring in the top of the fifth. The team had one hit through four innings, and then had two RBI hits in the fifth to go ahead 3-1, including a two-RBI double by Trey Krause.
Burlington tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth to go up 4-1, but Appleton scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
“In the seventh, we said, ‘new ballgame,’” Safar said.
In the seventh, Andrew Kawalec and Derek Koenen opened with back-to-back singles, then Drew Pesick hit a double to score Kawalec.
Bryce Morris drew a walk, and Mauro Martinez had a two-RBI double to score Koenen and Pesick. The last run came in on an RBI groundout by Michael Rozell.
The squad was scheduled to play its final pool play game Wednesday at 8 p.m. against Eau Claire, a team that is 2-2 in the tournament.
Tuesday night’s extra-inning effort was the first time Burlington had been truly pushed in the tournament.
Burlington opened with a 7-3 win over District 6 champion Antigo Saturday. The game was scoreless until the top of the third, after which Burlington trailed 2-1. But a five-run fourth inning proved to be the margin the team needed, with Kawalec hitting a three-run homer in the inning. The squad tacked on an insurance run in the sixth.
After a four-hour weather delay on Sunday, Burlington beat up on Reedsburg, 11-1. The team was up 2-1 heading into the sixth inning before exploding for nine runs. Trent Turzenski had a two-RBI double over the fence, and Kawalec added another home run. There were nine other singles in the inning as well.
On Monday, Burlington routed Whitefish Bay 15-3. Up 5-3 through five complete innings, Burlington blew the game wide open in the sixth with a Pesick grand slam and a three-run homer by Tyler Rieck.
After the first two wins of the tournament, Safar was cautiously optimistic.
“We are in a good position in the tourney,” Safar said. “We have the talent (to win the tournament), but the new format this year will make it a challenge to do it.
“Every team is good up here, and anything can happen.”
That said, Safar liked his team’s confidence.
“The kids are starting to believe in what they can do,” he said. “They continue to work hard in preparing for these games.”
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