The Genesee Rebels dropped their second straight game to start the 2015 season on Sunday when they lost to the Dawgs from North Prairie 6-1. While it looked like rain storms might be the downfall of the Rebels, it ended up being their absent offense that led to the loss. Unable to come up with the big hit when it mattered, the Rebs mustered only a single run against a young North Prairie team.
The Dawgs have a revamped and rejuvenated lineup as they have acquired quite a few young players from Carroll University and the surrounding area. It was their pitching and timely offense that helped lead them to victory. The Dawgs arms combined to only allow 4 hits and 1 run. They kept the ball low and the hitters off balance. You need to score runs to win, and the Rebels could not do that.
On the other hand, it was the Dawgs who slowly and methodically built a lead. A few runs here and a few runs there, a misplayed fly ball, a double to the gap, a missed cutoff, a bloop, a single, and it all ended with a total of 6 runs crossing the plate. The damage could have been worse as Genesee's infield cut down 3 runs at the plate, twice foiling a first and third play.
Offensively, the Rebels had their opportunities with runners reaching scoring position in 4 of the 9 innings, but they could not come up with a clutch hit when it mattered most. Chris Elliott and Matt Bauer continued their hot start at the plate by each pounding out a hit or two. Other than that, there wasn't much offense at all. Credit goes to the North Prairie pitchers for keeping the Rebels off balance.
Despite the fact that the Rebels have started 0-2, confidence is still high. There is a lot of baseball left and it's just a matter of time before the hits start falling and the runs start streaming across the plate. The addition of a few young players mixed in with a core of returning veterans has Genesee looking forward to playing more ball.
Genesee returns to action next week when they host the East Troy Express next Sunday, the 24th at 1:30pm at Genesee Town Park.
The Genesee Rebels are an amateur / semi-pro baseball team made up of collegiate and post-collegiate athletes. The Rebels play in the Southwest Division of the Land O' Lakes baseball organization and are located in the Town of Genesee. We have a NEW WEBSITE. Follow the link to check out our new site: https://geneseerebelsbaseb.wixsite.com/rebels
