Hurting Kiwanis persevers

Monday, June 18, 2007 2:11 AM CDT

Journal Times staff

The depleted Racine Kiwanis are doing more than just showing up as the dog days of summer set in.

The Kiwanis, who only had three pitchers and one catcher available for Sunday's Land O' Lakes League doubleheader against the Burlington Barons at Horlick Field, still managed a split. After losing the opener 8-1, the Kiwanis came back to win the second game 9-2.

Sunday marked the sixth and seventh games the Kiwanis (9-5, 5-4 LOL) played in six days.

"The guys are just playing their hearts out," said Kiwanis coach Jack Schiestle, who Eric Lehner to an ankle injury Sunday and catcher Danny Buchholz, who left the team, last week. I'm just proud of them."

The Kiwanis got off to a rough start when the Barons reached Racine ace Kevin Sowinski for 12 hits. A tiring Sowinski, who allowed three earned runs in seven innings, declined to be relieved on a warm day to preserve the Kiwanis' undermanned pitching staff.

"We were out of pitching and that was typical of Kevin to do that," Schiestle said.

Nate Meyer doubled and drove in two runs for Burlington, while Ryan Hoffman, Mike Kuhn, Matt Kuchenbecker and Matt Bartz had one each.

Ryan McCormick (2-0) earned the victory, allowing one earned run in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two.

It was a different story for the Kiwanis in the second game, with Michael Pena driving in five runs and Ryan Gilboy hitting a three-run homer.

With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Phil Gnacinski singled, Brady Knudsen walked and, after Johann Andes flew out, Gilboy walked to load the bases.

Erik Rieker popped up for the second out, but Mikole Pierce than walked to force in a run, breaking the tie. Pena followed by clearing the bases with a fly to deep right-center field, giving Racine a 6-2 lead.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Knudsen walked, Andes reached on an error and Gilboy followed with a three-run homer.

Gnacinski earned the victory in relief of James Ricchio with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

RACINE HITTERS: The Hitters advanced to the championship game of the Lombard Lightning Tournament before losing to the Illinois Sparks 2-0.

In the first of three games Sunday, Ryan Shuman, Cody Winiarski,Nick Lingvay and Malcolm Frazier each drove in two runs in the Hitters' 10-5 victory over the Plainfield Saints.

The Hitters (8-3) defeated the Lombard Lightning 5-0 in the semifinals behind a two-hitter from Bobby Hopkins. Sam Keller homered and drove in two runs for the Hitters, Cody Winiarski went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and Jared Andreoli went 2-for-3 with a double.

UNION GROVE JUNIOR LEGION: Brandon Feit pitched seven strong innings in Union Grove's 8-1 victory over Burlington.

Feit struck out seven.The only run he allowed came in the second inning when he picked a runner off first base, allowing a runner from third to score.

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