Suttons Bay had lost three straight on the road, but on Tuesday they dropped their record down to 3-14 to make it four. They fell just short of the Buckley Bears by a score of 7-6. The Norsemen were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Bears apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in April of 2024.
Gavin Schichtel was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (one). He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Ty Brenner and Anthony Oskaboose stepped up to the plate in a big way. Brenner went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Oskaboose went 2-for-4 with five stolen bases and two runs.
As for Buckley, the win snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 8-15 record. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory they have posted since May 13th.
Like Suttons Bay, Buckley also got a great game from a two-way player: Landon Kulawiak. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Kulawiak has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in 11 consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April.
In other pitching news, Parker Witzke looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off only two hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Buckley is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 6-14 otherwise.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Danzik McEachern, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April. Jud Rath was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Buckley has already played their next contest (against Bear Lake), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Suttons Bay will be paying especially close attention to the Bears' matchup: after the Bears face off against the Lakers, they'll take on Suttons Bay again at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
