Milkmen break out big bats to win Game One of Championship Series over Sioux Falls

For their fourth game in a row, the Milkmen began the evening by battling the rain. 

After a scoreless top of the first inning from starter David Holmberg, Milwaukee’s offense came alive. Dylan Tice drew a walk and Adam Brett Walker II to hit a single to follow. Jose Sermo knocked in the first run of the inning with a single to center field. Two more runs scored courtesy of a double from David Washington. Zach Nehrir followed with a hard hit double to right field and Washington scored. It did not take long for Christian Correa to get the first home run this postseason, bringing in in two more runs with a long blast to center field. The Milkmen batted around in the first inning and got a big step ahead of the Canaries with the score 6-0.

The Canaries proved during this game why they were the best hitting team this regular season as Jabari Henry launched a ball out of left field in the top of the second, scoring two.

In the bottom of the second inning, Brett Vertigan found his swag and hit a rocket to center field after striking out the first inning. Tice followed with an RBI single to center to extend the Milkmen lead 7-2. 

David Holmberg threw a solid four innings, only giving up two hits and two runs, then was relieved by Ryan Kussmaul.

Henry from the Canaries had a hot bat tonight as he batted in Alay Lago in the sixth inning. With an error from shortstop Mason Davis, Grant Kay made it to first base as Henry was able to score to scratch in two runs, 7-4.

The Milkmen answered back in the bottom of the sixth with home runs from Vertigan and Tice to stretch the lead to 9-4.

Kussmaul worked two innings while allowing two runs, then Myles Smith tossed a scoreless seventh.

In the eighth inning Lago and Henry hit back to back doubles off AJ Schugel, and Henry earned himself an RBI that inning. The Milkmen got that run back that inning with a double from Davis to score Washington. Nehrir earned his second RBI double of the night for Davis to cross home plate.

Peyton Gray came in to finish out the game, and after making 30 appearances and throwing 32.0 scoreless innings during the regular season, allowed his first run of 2020 when Clint Coulter tucked a long fly ball just over the foul pole in left field for a home run. Gray shut the door, however, striking out the final two batters of the game.

The Milkmen win game one of this best-of-seven series in an overwhelming fashion, 11-6. 

The Milkmen will be back at home tomorrow for game two against the Canaries. Gates will open at 3:30 p.m. and the first pitch will be thrown at 4:30 p.m. Starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez will take the mound for the Milkmen tomorrow against Tyler Danish. Tickets are still available for purchase at milwaukeemilkmen.com.