Mukwonago
10AUG
Waterford?
Express Win Trio, Finish Fourth
The East Troy Express sealed their fate of finishing in fourth place in the Southwest division of Land O’ Lakes baseball as they took three wins over the weekend. East Troy needed to win all three and get some help from teams around the league to move up in the standings. The Express did their part but didn’t get the help they needed and finished two and a half games behind Waterford for first place.
East Troy dropped Dousman 19-13 Saturday before sweeping Sullivan in a double header Sunday.
Ryan Kehl and Kurt Wenzel each finished with four hits against a shorthanded Dousman squad. Kehl reached base in all seven of his plate appearances while Wenzel drove in four runs.
The Express broke onto the scoreboard with four runs in the third, four in the fourth, two in the fifth, eight in the seventh and one in the eighth inning. Dousman scored most of their runs in mop up duty with Jimmy Tontillo on the mound for the first time in several weeks.
Jeff Tess finished with three hits while Todd Nabor and Andy Balgord added a pair of hits apiece.
Nabor toed the mound for seven innings before giving way to Tontillo. The lefty held Dousman pretty much in check before resting the final two innings. Wenzel closed the game, fanning two in the final frame.
The Express wasted no time in taking the field again as they came back Sunday and drummed the Roosters of Sullivan 7-3 and 9-3.
Tim Schafer ruled the roost from the mound as he went the distance in game one, allowing two earned runs while fanning six and walking no Rooster hitters.
Kehl stayed hot at the plate finishing 2 for 4 while Adam Wolter and Jeb Loth chipped in a pair of hits as well. Tess hit a hanging curveball out of the park in his second at bat for his lone hit of the contest.
The Express struck for two runs in the second frame before adding one in the third, three in the fourth and one in the sixth.
Sullivan scored an unearned run in the first before Schafer shut them down until the seventh. The Roosters plated two in the top of the final inning.
Justin Keegan, Loth and Wenzel each had a pair of hits in game two as the Express completed the sweep.
Nabor returned to the mound for his second win in as many days as he went five innings, allowing one earned run on four hits while fanning six and issuing only one free pass.
The Express scored all of their runs in the first two frames, plating four in the first and five in the second. Sullivan plated one in the second and two in the seventh in mop up time with Tontillo on the mound. Tontillo pitched the final two frames fanning one while walking two and giving up two runs, both of which were unearned.
Head coach Tim Wenzel was very pleased with the weekend.
“Our bats came around nicely, we looked very confident at the plate and I hope it carries over into the playoffs,” Wenzel said. “We need to peak at the right time and if this weekend was any indication we might be doing just that.”
The Express will host five seed Mukwonago in the first round of the playoffs. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 9.
Express Bounce Back, Sweep Mukwonago
The East Troy Express took a giant step toward clinching a home playoff game Sunday as they dealt the Mukwonago Lakers a pair of losses in double header action.
The Express took game one 5-3 before erupting for 16 runs in the second game to cruise to a 16-1 win.
Todd Nabor threw extremely well in game one as he allowed three runs on six Laker hits while fanning 13 batters and issuing no free passes.
Nabor came up clutch in the Express half of the sixth as he singled to drive in two runs. Following a leadoff single by Andy Balgord, a single up the middle by Salopeck and a walk to Kurt Wenzel, Nabor put a fastball over the heads of the Laker infielders to give the squad the 5-3 lead and eventual margin of victory.
Ryan Kehl finished the contest with a pair of hits and two runs batted in. Balgord finished with two singles as well.
Coach Tim Wenzel was pleased with the win.
“This was actually a really good game to be a part of, Nabor threw very well, we had timely hitting and we scored the runs when we needed to,” Wenzel said. “The Lakers played well too and this one could have gone either way. Luckily we came out on the winning end of the thing.”
The Express carried the momentum over to game two as they played the away team in the Train Station. Game two of the double header was originally scheduled to be played in Mukwonago, hence the flip flopping of home and away status.
Tim Schafer shut the Lakers down in order in the first, including a pick off of Nate Rebholz at first base.
The Express got right back to scoring in the second as several walks and clutch at bats led to seven runs in the frame.
Schafer cruised through the Laker lineup, allowing just one run and fanning eight.
Salopeck and Justin Keegan each added long balls to the Express total and Kehl finished with another pair of hits in game two.
Coach Wenzel was very pleased with the two game sweep.
“We are in control of where we finish the rest of the way out. We have to win our games and see what else happens around the league,” Wenzel said. “It was great to get a pair of wins against a team that has given us fits in the past; they are a talented team that can cause anyone problems. Schafer threw very well once again; our pitching and defense were phenomenal today.”
The Express find themselves in fourth place, but with three games remaining anything can happen.
Balgord to Retire at End of Season
"I'm done," says portly one.
With every beginning there comes an end, a close to what was. This proverb is true of all things, including the East Troy Express career of first baseman Andy Balgord. The veteran infielder announced this week that this will be his final season with the team as he looks to make a location and career change following the campaign’s ultimate close.
The round one has played with the team for nearly a decade and thinks of himself as an integral part of the squad’s success, though others might not agree.
Balgord began his run with the Express in 1999 following graduation from high school and his freshman year in college. The portly one bagger received a phone call from Fran Brady informing him that the Express was desperate for a first baseman and they were interested in having him play. The retirement of the greats like Mike Olsen and Jeremy Kendall left a large opening for Balgord’s career to start and he jumped at the chance.
“I was pretty excited to get that call, I didn’t know what I was going to do all summer long without being able to play ball so when Fran called I was pumped,” Balgord said. “I would always read about the guys ahead of me kicking ass and I hoped to be a part of that one day.”
Balgord was thrown right into the fire his first year out as the Express struggled to find their niche in his first two seasons but finally found their stride with the players that remained from the mass exodus from the championship years past. Players like Chet and Kurt Wenzel, Jeff Tess, Dave Pluess and Tim Salopeck formed the backbone for the Express as the younger members filled in the cracks as best they could. The team clicked however and propelled their way to third place for the following several years, even advancing to the Southwest championship game in 2006.
Balgord found success with the division’s transition to wood bats as he made his only all star game following the switch. Balgord made the squad in 2002 following an amazing start in which he hit five home runs in the first three games. Balgord finished the campaign with six home runs and hit well above .400 for his best season with the squad.
Throughout his career Balgord has a lifetime average of around .360, 27 home runs and averaged 12 to 15 runs batted in per season. Balgord has never played a season without hitting a long ball.
Despite the decent enough numbers, Balgord thinks his most favorite moments were those off the field.
“I have a ton of great memories thanks to the people involved with the team,” Balgord said. “You become a second family with all of these people and it will be hard to move on in life without them. I will never forget the great times, and the not so good ones that I have experienced with all of them and hope I made a mark on some of them as well.”
When asked why he would be leaving the team Balgord offered a surprisingly deep answer.
“I think it is just the right time to make this move,” Balgord said. “This is a very exciting time for the team as we finally have a lot of good young talent entering the program; room needs to be made for these young guys to take the reins. I feel like I could still contribute, but I am nowhere near as successful as I once was and it frustrates me more than I need right now. I learned from someone I care very deeply about that if you are going to move on, you have to do it whole heartedly and just go. I don’t want to stick around and fade away into old age with the guys just so I can fill a jersey, though I fill it well.”
“I’ve been in talks for a month now to make a career switch that I think will ultimately lead me down the path to where I want to be,” Balgord said. “At this point in my life I think I need to take this chance and go for it even though I would be leaving a lot of people behind that I care about, and some that I love. With everything the way it is now, I think this is just a great time to take a chance, the team will survive and flourish without me but I don’t know if I could say the same for myself if I stayed here.”
The Express will likely not feel any adverse affects form Balgord’s departure as the youth movement brings Andy Kiesow to the squad and veteran Jeff Tess may make the switch to a non throwing position like first base next season with other young blood in the infield.
“Next year will be different for the team, but sometimes change is for the better. But just sometimes,” Balgord said. “I have to get out of here, have to take this chance and I have to do it now.”
Balgord refused to disclose his future employer for fear of jinxing his new career but he would say that he would be filling an interim media relations position with the hopes of winning the full time position down the road.
“The company will need me for the remainder of their active year, which, with any luck, will run deep into October though they have some work to do,” Balgord said. “After their year is over I’ll have a chance to get the job for the long term, should be an interesting experience no matter what happens.”
Balgord will be able to complete the remainder of the 2008 season before reporting to his new job in
“I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for being such great teammates and friends and to the fans for always supporting the team,” Balgord said. “It will truly be strange next year to have the weekends off but it is a sacrifice I have to make right now.”
Balgord might be missed.
Express Swept in Genoa City
The East Troy Express took a drastic fall out of second place in the Southwest division of Land O’ Lakes baseball as they were swept in a huge double header over the weekend by Genoa City. The Express host Mukwonago in a double header July 27 beginning at noon.
The Red Dogs took the pair of contests 2-1 and 13-5 as the Express suffered from the long period of inactivity resulting from the All Star break.
East Troy looked flat at the plate in game one, managing only one run on four hits while striking out nine times in a seven inning contest. Ryan Kehl had two of the four hits and drove in the only Express run of the contest. Tim Salopeck added a double in the tough loss.
Todd Nabor pitched very well despite taking the loss as the left hander hurled six strong, allowing just one earned run on three hits while fanning nine Genoa City hitters. Nabor walked six in the shakier moments of his outing but managed to work his way out of trouble several times.
The Red Dogs took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on a walk, two hits and a costly error. Genoa City plated two runs in the frame which would eventually prove to be sufficient for the victory.
East Troy threatened in the fifth inning as they scored their lone run and had a chance to plate several more in a bases loaded situation with one out. Justin Keegan struck out swinging and Adam Wolter was picked off of third to end the Express threat in one fell swoop however.
Head coach Tim Wenzel was disappointed with the loss and thought the team seemed to be suffering a hangover from the two week break.
“We just looked very flat and very rusty out there at the plate,” Wenzel said. “We didn’t show up to play like we needed to in a big game situation like this was. It’s disappointing but we needed to move on to game two right away.”
The Express looked as though they had forgotten all about the first loss as they came out firing in game two, scoring three runs in the first inning.
Things would quickly take a turn for the worst however as the Express defense fell apart in the second inning. The Red Dogs would overtake the Express, plating four runs in the frame.
The third inning was one of the most horrifying experiences a coach might ever have to watch as the Express allowed six runs on two hits and six errors.
The horrendous defense was impossible to overcome as East Troy managed to add single tallies in the fifth and seventh innings while Geneoa City added a trio of runs in the fifth to take the 13-5 win.
Tim Schafer took the loss for the Express, going just three innings, allowing 10 runs, five of them earned, on six hits. Schafer fanned six while walking four.
Youngster Andy Kiesow pitched the final three innings in relief, allowing three runs on three hits. Kiesow fanned one while walking five in his first pitching appearance with the Express.
Keegan would finish the contest 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI’s and two runs scored to pace the stumbling Express offense.
“We simply did not show up to play today and they did,” Wenzel said. “We made them look better than they were and we can’t do that when in a race like we are. Hopefully we will be able to bounce back this weekend and right the ship.
Express Represented Well in All Star Game
By Ken I. Cumon-Urback
Special to etexpressbaseball.com
The LOL Southwest recently competed in its annual all star game on July 13th. The East Troy Express was well represented in the contest, sending 4 players.
Justin Keegan started for the SW, batting leadoff and playing center field. Keegan started the day by lacing a clean single up the middle and later scored on a base hit by Waterford Adam Brechtl.
Keegan's day was cut short after dislocating his pinky finger on an attempted steal. He was 3-3 on the day and was caught stealing on that play in which he was injured.
Express pitcher Todd Nabor started on the hill and went 3 innings. Nabor gave up 4 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 3.
East Troy 2nd baseman Jeff Tess entered the game in the 6th inning and was 0-2 on the day. This was Tess' 5th All-Star appearance. He stated after the game that it was a privilege to represent the SW and hopes to make a deep run into the playoffs this year.
The final player to join the festivities was Tim Schafer. Schafer was a late replacement as a pitcher for the SW and he may have had the best day of any of the All-Stars. Schafer pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief and gave up one hit and struck out 4 Western hitters.
He was pleased with the outing and the Experience stating that he felt as though he belonged in the all-star class and his performance only confirmed those feelings. The Express will travel to Genoa City on Sunday in a key double header. Game 1 begins at noon.
Webmaster Bored, Creates New Tab on etexpressbaseball.com
With the lack of a game to make fun of people about and a deepening case of boredom at work I have decided to introduce the general public to the inner workings of some of the players and management that make up the East Troy Express. Jan Wenzel has actually determined who we meet this week as she sent me some amusing photos taken during the Express’s dry hump victories over Farmington.
People who devote their summer weekends to playing baseball do it simply for the love of the game and the approval of the home town fans. I think it might be time to get some of these guys the attention they deserve. Take a look at the new tab marked “Who are they?” to get a feel for what makes some of these guys tick.
Express Defeat Delavan, Lose Pitching Duel to Rivermen
The East Troy Express split two huge Land O’ Lakes Southwest division games over the holiday weekend as they dropped Delavan 6-3 July 4 before falling to Waterford 3-2 the following afternoon.
Delavan hosted the annual July 4 matchup in front of a large crowd of parade goers, and got off to a hot start as they plated three runs in the bottom of the very first frame. Todd Nabor allowed a three run home run to Blackhawk Tod Neuwenheis following a potentially costly Express error that could have gotten east Troy a huge double play.
The Express would rally back however as Nabor shut Delavan down throughout the remainder of the contest, keeping the Blackhawks from rounding the bases for any further damage.
East Troy would get to former Express pitcher Pob Piedot in his debut against his former team as they scored six runs on 11 hits. The Express would crack the egg in the second inning as they plated a run, took the lead in the third on three huge runs and added big insurance runs in the fourth and eighth innings.
Matt Lang led the Express at the plate finishing the day 3 of 4 with a double and a run batted in.
Jeb Loth would add a pair of hits as would Jeff Tess, each would add a two bagger in the win.
Kurt Wenzel and Andy Balgord each finished with an RBI, Wenzel’s would come on a double.
Nabor went the distance for the Express as he allowed seven Blackhawk hits while fanning seven batters. Nabor issued only two free passes in the dominating victory.
Head coach Tim Wenzel was pleased with the big victory as the league is tight at the top of the standings.
“Every game from here out is a big one, we did well to focus with everything going around the game to get the victory,” Wenzel said. “Nabor threw very well, really threw only one bad pitch there in the first inning and continues to come up huge for us. Everyone contributed to this one which was great to see.”
The Express would take little time celebrating as they prepared for the showdown with Waterford the following afternoon. The two squads entered the contest in a tie for first place with the winning taking a huge hold on the top spot with under ten games remaining.
Saturday’s contest would prove to be a matchup of two weary heavyweight fighters as each team showed signs of fatigue from the tumultuous season.
Waterford would strike for the first run of the game in the opening frame as Jason Morgan led off with a base hit, advanced to second on a Steve Ems bunt and later scored on a ground ball by Adam Brechtl.
The Rivermen would add a pair in the third inning following two costly walks by Express hurler Tim Schafer and a huge double by Brechtl.
East Troy would draw to within two runs in the fourth inning as Jeff Tess opened the frame with a walk and advanced to third on a Justin Keegan single. Balgord would hit a sharp line drive that would bounce off the Waterford third baseman to plate Tess.
East Troy would threaten several times in the following innings but could not come up with the big hit necessary to plate runs until Loth singled in the eighth to drive in the second Express run and bring East Troy to within one swing of tying the contest.
The Rivermen would hold on however as East Troy threatened once more in the ninth, putting a runner at third with one out. Jeff Tess hit a screamer down the third baseline that would find its way into the defenders glove and end the express chances at a come from behind victory.
Several East Troy hitters would finish with a pair of hits as Ryan Kehl, Jory Tess, Keegan and Balgord each finished with two hits. Balgord and Loth would drive in the two Express runs.
Schafer managed to hold the powerful Riverman offense mostly in check as the Express outhit Waterford 10 to seven. Schafer would fan seven while walking five, two of which would eventually score.
Tim Wenzel was pleased with the effort but obviously disappointed with the loss.
“We played very hard out there today, we were very aggressive and got ourselves into the position to have a big chance to win this one,” Wenzel said. “We just couldn’t get the one big hit we needed even though we had several chances to change this one.”
East Troy stranded 10 runners and had multiple runners on base with one or no outs several times in the contest.
“We were just inches away from a big hit and the tying run several times,” Wenzel said. “Schafer threw a tremendous game and deserved the victory there.”
The split weekend hand the Express a 12-3 record, putting them a game behind Waterford with seven regular season games left.
East Troy will take a break for the All Star game this weekend as Nabor, Tess and Keegan will represent the Express in the contest held in Lannon beginning at 1:30 p.m. July 13.
The East Troy Express won its sixth straight Southwest Division game Sunday as they bested Rome 4-1 on the road.
East Troy opened the scoring in the top of the first as they plated a pair of runs on a Justin Keegan double and Andy Kiesow’s first career Express hit and RBI.
The Express added another pair of runs in the third inning before Rome pitcher and East Troy graduate Jeff Smith settled in to shut the East Troy offense down.
The Raiders would crack the goose egg in the sixth inning as they plated a run on a walk and a fielder’s choice.
Todd Nabor took the win for the Express as he went eight innings, allowing only the one run on three Raider hits. Nabor fanned nine while walking five in the effort.
Tim Schafer came on to pitch the ninth for East Troy as he picked up the save. Schafer allowed a leadoff single before setting the Raiders down via three strikeouts.
Smith went the distance for the Raiders as he allowed eight hits while striking out five.
Ryan Kehl and Matt Lang led the Express with two hits apiece. Lang joined Keegan in hitting a double in the contest.
Head coach Tim Wenzel was pleased with the win.
“This was a good one for us to get,” Wenzel said. “We are playing solid ball and Nabor threw a gem for us, we got just enough offense to get the job done but we could have used more. We had chances to score more runs but couldn’t get the job done.”
In fact, East Troy had Smith in a jam in the top of the seventh as they loaded the bases with just one out. The Express let Rome off the hook however without plating an insurance run in the frame.
The win and an unexpected Waterford loss put the Express in a tie for first place in the division with a big weekend coming up.
East Troy will play Delevan July 4th at 4 p.m. before traveling to Waterford July 5. The Waterford contest will decide who remains in first place and will also begin at 4 p.m.
“This is a huge weekend for us, we win both we are sitting pretty,” Wenzel said. “Both teams are playing really solid baseball right now so we will have to be strong defensively to get these two wins.”
Delevan enters the July 4 contest hot off the heels of upsetting Waterford, giving them some momentum.
“We played them pretty evenly the first time through,” Wenzel said. “We’ll need to do better to cut down the errors and pitching mistakes this time through.”
The Express defeated Delevan 17-16 early in the season.
“Waterford is always going to be tough,” Wenzel said. “They beat up on us pretty well at our place; I think the guys will be hungry to show that they are better than the last score showed.”
The East Troy Express defeated Burlington for the second time in three days last Wednesday as they dispatched the Barons 5-3 in a rare Land O Lakes night game.
The Express struck first in the fourth inning as they plated three runs. Kurt Wenzel led off the inning with a single and later scored on a triple by Jory Tess. Tess would score on the play as well as Wenzel bowled over the Baron catcher causing the ball to squirt away. East Troy would add another run in the frame to take a three run advantage.
Burlington struck back in their half of the fifth however as they plated three runs on an Express error and some timely hitting. The score remained knotted at 3-3 heading into the seventh inning.
East Troy took the advantage back in the seventh by scoring two huge runs on several key hits. Ryan Kehl and Jeff Tess each doubled in the frame to get the runs across.
Hurler Todd Nabor held Burlington scoreless the rest of the way to earn the complete game win and improve the Express record to 8-2 on the season. Nabor allowed three runs on six Baron hits while fanning eight opposing batters.
Jeff and Jory Tess led the way at the plate for the Express as they combined to finish 4-7. Jory finished 2-4 with a triple and an RBI while Jeff finished 2-3 with a double and RBI.
Head coach Tim Wenzel was pleased with the win.
“We don’t play a whole lot of night games so it was good to come out and get the win despite the unfamiliar circumstances,” Wenzel said. “We’ve been getting great pitching and some timely hitting and its really helping us to get the wins. Hopefully we can keep rolling like we have been and cut down on the errors.”
East Troy was scheduled to host Farmington Sunday in a double header but were the unexpected beneficiaries of a Farmington forfeit. The Braves couldn’t seem to field a team and were forced to surrender two victories to the Express. The two unopposed victories raise East Troy’s record to 10-2 and propel them into second place following a North Prairie split with Sullivan.
The East Troy Express defeated Burlington Sunday behind a strong pitching performance by left hander Tim Shafer.
Shafer went the distance for the Express as he struck out 14 Barons on his way to a 7-2 victory. Shafer did not allow an earned run and only gave up two hits in his dominating performance as Burlington scored twice following a pair of Express errors. The Elkhorn native recorded nine consecutive outs by way of the strike out at one point in the contest.
East Troy jumped on the board in the third inning as the bottom of the order got things going. The Express would score three runs in the frame before Burlington could stop the bleeding.
The Barons would score their two runs in the fifth inning following two ground balls that were bobbled in the Express infield. Shafer would run into the only trouble he would see in the contest as he walked a pair of Baron batters to get into a jam. The lefty worked his way out of it with minimal damage though and the Express entered the dugout with the lead intact.
Adam Wolter gave East Troy an insurance run two innings later as he blasted his third home run of the season over the right field fence to lead off the frame. East Troy added three more in the inning on a triple by Matt Lang and some timely hitting by the top of the order.
Justin Keegan doubled in the big inning to drive in a run and Andy Balgord hit his second sacrifice of the contest to plate Ryan Kehl for East Troy’s final run.
Jory Tess finished with a pair of hits in his Express debut as the high school players join the big team following the end of the school season.
Almost every player in the lineup finished with one hit in the offensively starved contest.
Head coach Tim Wenzel was pleased with the victory.
“We looked good at times today,” Wenzel said. “Shafer threw an amazing game but got into trouble for a bit there. Our defense didn’t help him out of the jam. We made up for it though and that’s what counts. There were a few plays there where I was a little worried.”
The victory raises East Troy’s record to 7-2, tying them with North Prairie for second place in the Southwest Division of Land O’ Lakes baseball. The Express trail Waterford by a single game.
East Troy was scheduled to play a rematch against Burlington Wednesday night. The contest will be held at the high school as the Barons’ field is under water.
The Express will host Farmington in a double header June 22.
Touch 'Em All
