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In the midst of
a woeful 2006 campaign, Brecka’s Orangemen
stayed in the winner’s bracket for the duration,
reeling off five consecutive wins to capture the
class A championship of the 16-team Wisconsin
NAFA men’s fastpitch state tournament held this
past weekend at Middleton. The championship
encounter with Schneid’s Sports Bar and Grill of
Madison turned into a 13-3 Brecka’s route, as
the Orangemen began the game with six straight
hits, highlighted by a 3-run home run by Andy
Mathews and followed by a long triple off the
bat of Tatum Candler. Mathews had five total
runs batted in for the contest. Jake Nelson
along with Mathews turned in two for three
performances, Greg Nelson and Tim Hall were two
for four with a triple and double respectively,
and Jeff Bader had two singles in four trips as
Larry Cushman went the route for the pitching
victory.
The Orangemen
opened with a 3-0 shutout of Old Settler’s Inn
of Kenosha, as Cushman scattered three singles
and struck out 14 including eight in succession
at one point. Jake Nelson provided all the
offense needed with a fifth inning home run.
A five run first
inning followed by a five run second lifted
Brecka’s past The Bar of Wausau, 13-3. The
offensive spark was a bases loaded, base
clearing double off the bat of Mike Kuehl. Hall
got the pitching victory in relief of Mike
Newby.
Turk’s BBC of Cornell jumped to an early two run
lead before the Orangemen rallied to register a
6-2 win, with Cushman once again the winning
hurler. Mathews and Greg Nelson each provided
offensive support by tripling.
Schneid’s gained a two-run advantage in the
winner’s bracket final before Brecka’s fashioned
three run innings in both the fifth and sixth
and went on to another 6-2 win, this one
propelling the Orangemen to the championship
game. The offense was led by Greg and Jake
Nelson, both at two for three with one of Greg’s
hits being a triple, Candler at two for four,
and Hall with a sixth inning three bagger.
Cushman again got the pitching win.
Pitchers Cushman and Hall finished 4-0 and
respectively 1-0. Jake Nelson sported a .545
average for the weekend with a home run and
double, Mathews hit an even .500 with a home run
and triple and seven RBIs, Candler batted .400
with a triple and five runs batted in, Greg
Nelson .385 and two triples, and Hall .357 with
a double, triple, and five RBI’s.
The
Merchants of Wanderoos placed third in class A
competition and L-X of La Crosse fourth. New
Image of Monfort won the AA tournament,
defeating Wilber Lime of Galesville 2-0 in the
championship game. Circle Tap of Denmark was
the third place class AA finisher.
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