On a sun-splashed Independence Day Weekend Sunday, the Sister Bay Bays were looking to dig out of their slump and find a way back into the win column. Set to face an Egg Harbor team whose past few weeks have been a struggle, a couple of changes in the batting order could have been just the trick.
After Sam Forkert sat down two of the first three outs of the game by way of a strikeout, it was obvious the 34-year-old left-hander had his A stuff. Sister Bay would see those lineup changes come to fruition early on, as new leadoff batter Tom Sawyer would reach base, followed by a handful of singles into a 1-0 lead. Griffin Cole, who dropped a spot in the order, would expand the lead with a 2-RBI double. Egg Harbor's starting pitcher, Drake Olsen, would be plagued by issues in the field all day from the Indians' defense, and would have 3 of the four runs scored in the first inning be ruled as earned.
Forkert would respond to the early run support in the next top half of the inning by delivering back-to-back strikeouts of Drew Price and Brody Kollath. Forkert would cruise through the top half of the innings for the majority of the afternoon, showcasing the Sam Forkert of old, one of the best days the left-hander has had thus far this season. One thing of note, however, was that the veteran was not present in the batting order for Sister Bay.
The Bays would tack on more runs in the third inning as well, as Alex Laughlin and Griffin Cole would start the inning off with back-to-back singles. An error by Price of Egg Harbor out in left field would result in the bases becoming loaded. Branden Krause would ground back to the pitcher, and Rylan Caldecott would strike out looking, and Drake Olsen would be an out away from escaping the jam. However, he would walk Tom Sawyer and allow consecutive singles to Stew Larsen and Spencer Krause for RBIs, and it would be 7-0 after 3 innings for a Sister Bay offense that was desperate for runs.
Offenses would go silent after the third, as Olsen would settle in for a final inning in the fourth, as his afternoon would end after four innings and five earned runs. Sam Forkert would be clean for Sister Bay until the sixth inning, when third baseman Alec Danen would single for his second time today, and Cody Giesseman would step up for the Indians. In his first two at-bats, Giesseman was fooled off-speed by Forkert. Not this one, however, as Giesseman sent a 2-2 offering deep into left-center field and over the wall for a monster shot to cut the lead to 7-2.
That score is how it would end for both sides, as Sam Forkert would stretch out til the eighth inning and Matt Hecht would come on for the ninth to slam the door and give Sister Bay a much-needed win. Sam Forkert would go 8 innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 earned runs, and 10 strikeouts in a win.
Next week Sister Bay, who moved to 6-2, will head to Institute to take on the winless Cubs after Institute fell to Maplewood 16-0. Egg Harbor, falling to 2-6, will match up with Maplewood, which has won three of its last four.
