Milkmen Drop Rubber Match to RedHawks

By Hannah McIlree & Jonathan Michel

Franklin, WI – The Milwaukee Milkmen encountered a strong start from Fargo-Moorhead starting pitcher Ryan Flores and fell to the RedHawks 4-2 on Sunday.  

Milkmen starter Matt Solter got off to a rocky start, allowing a single from Correlle Prime and then walking two straight batters. The RedHawks benefited from having the bases loaded with no outs when Jordan George hit a sacrifice fly to score Prime, making the score 1-0 Fargo-Moorehead. 

Fargo scored again in the top of the second inning, after John Silviano and Prime reached on singles, Boscan sent in Silviano with a single to left, pushing the lead to two runs.

The Milkmen put a run on the board in the bottom of the third inning, Brett Vertigan, and Logan Trowbridge started off the rally with singles, followed by an Adam Brett Walker II RBI. 

“I capped the ball and luckily it landed where they weren’t, it’s baseball. You hit some balls hard at people, you hit some balls soft and the end up hits,” said Walker II

Vertigan showed off his defensive prowess in the top of the fifth inning making a full extension diving play and robbing Alex Boxwell of a double (shown below). 

After RedHawks third baseman Leobaldo Pina reached on a walk, Fargo upped their lead to 4-1 in the sixth, thanks to a deep 2-run home run from designated hitter Kevin Krause. 

Fargo threatened again in the top of the 8th when they loaded the bases with one out off Milkmen reliever Karch Kowalczyk but Dylan Kelly grounded into an inning-ending double play. 

The RedHawks’ starter Flores exited after the 8th inning with 7 strikeouts, 1 walk, and only 1 run given up.

Brett Vertigan picked up his 4th single of the game in the 9th, slapping a base hit to center which scored Tony Rosselli from second base. However the deficit was too big for the Milkmen to surmount as Trowbridge grounded out to end the game.

Now officially two-thirds of the way through the season, the Milkmen are still atop the American Association North Division with a 44-23 record, 5 games ahead of second-place Chicago.

The Milkmen hit the road to take on the Kane County Cougars in Geneva, Illinois on Monday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 PM. Milwaukee returns home on Monday, August 9 against the Lincoln Saltdogs at 6:35 P.M.

Tickets and more information at MilwaukeeMilkmen.com