Bummer....

The Rebels saw their season come to a halt on Saturday when they were handed a 3-0 loss by the Titans of Oconomowoc. You can't win if you don't score runs, and the Rebels were unable to get anything going on Saturday against Titan pitcher Nash Bell who kept the bats silent for most of the game.

Matt DeMarais took the mound for the Rebels and kept the Titans off the scoreboard for 4 innings. In the fifth, he allowed a lead off double, followed by a sac bunt and then another double to push the first run across. He got the next batter to ground out leaving a runner on 3rd with two outs. And then the wheels fell off. The next batter reached on an error which allowed the 2nd run to score, another error moved him up to second, a base hit pushed that run across.....when the dust finally settled, the Titans had scored three runs and knocked DeMarais out of the game.

Rebels rookie Derek Urban came on in relief and pitched three innings of scoreless baseball to hold the game within reach, but alas, it was not meant to be for the Rebels, as two runners were left stranded on base to end the game.

Overall, it was a pretty decent game, a pitcher's duel if you will, that finally ended the Rebels season.

The game may prove to be the last in the storied career of Rebels veteran Steve Engel who announced his retirement the week before. Engel has been a staple in the Rebels lineup for years, even decades, and will be missed as he now has more time to spend on yard work and improving his golf game. It may not be the last time Engel ever dons a Rebels uniform, however, as he has threatened to show up randomly to fill in or show the rookies a thing or two at batting practice. In all seriousness, Engel has been a great teammate, a solid baseball player, a mastermind at getting plunked by errant pitches, and a good person to know. His presence will be missed.

On the whole, it was a successful season for the Rebels and they have every reason to be optimistic for the future. The addition of three rookies, Derek Urban, Keith Koehn, and Mark Switalski, has added a great boost of energy and excitement. With everyone slated to return next year, minus Engel, 2014 could prove to be a banner year for Genesee.

A special thanks to our hard working concession stand workers who help keep us in business and the fans who show up despite our sometimes ridiculous antics.

Stay tuned for future updates as the Rebels plan to keep the site up and running throughout the off season with interesting and amusing tidbits every now and again.

If you're looking for more baseball, head to Burlington on Saturday to see if the Titans can pull the upset. My money is on Burlington, but the Titans have been known to surprise people every now and again.