Rindfleisch Sets Strikeout Record, A’s Sweep Weekend
Posted: July 31, 2023
Sheboygan, WI – The storyline of the weekend was Brad Rindfleisch, who broke Tom Eckhardt’s single-season strikeout record set in 1990 on Sunday when he recorded his fifth strikeout in game one against the Chicago Warriors. With his fifth punchout, Rindfleisch surpassed Eckhardt’s mark of 139. He would add two more to that record as the A’s would win the game 8-6. They would run-rule the Warriors in game two 13-0. They also defeated the Chicago Clout Saturday 5-1.
Saturday (W 5-1 vs. Chicago Clout)
The A’s scored two in the first, one in the fifth, and two more in the seventh in the 5-1 victory over the Clout. Gus Walker (Marian University) paced the team with three hits, including a double, and two stolen bases. Noah Imrie got the start, pitching 3.1 innings, striking out eight. Pitching in relief, Carson Bresser (UW-Whitewater) pitched 4.2 innings of no-run ball to get the win, and Justin Schnell (UW-Stout) made an appearance on the mound in the ninth.
Sunday (W 8-6 vs. Chicago Warriors)
Entering the fifth with a 6-0 lead, the A’s surrendered the next six runs as Chicago would tie the game entering the bottom half of the sixth. Utilizing the “Ohtani Rule”, starting pitcher Brad Rindfleisch was also the “designated hitter”. Fresh off setting the single-season strikeout mark, Rindfleisch launched the third pitch of his leadoff at-bat over the left field fence in what would be the game winning run. The A’s would tack on another in the sixth to secure the victory.
Sunday (W 13-0 vs. Chicago Warriors)
Rindfleisch would again be a catalyst in game two, collecting three hits including his second home run of the afternoon as the A’s scored four in the first, four in the second, and five in the fourth for the mercy-rule victory. Luke Smock (UW-Milwaukee) drove in four with a three-hit game, falling a home run shy of the cycle. Making his A’s debut, pitcher Nate Stephany was solid, pitching five innings and throwing 37 of his 53 pitches for strikes.
The A’s will get two days off before their final home game of the season on Wednesday, as the A’s secured the #1 seed in the Wisconsin State League’s Step-Ladder qualifier for the Wisconsin Class A State Tournament. Burlington, the #3 seed will play at #2 Kenosha on Tuesday night at 7:30 PM. The winner of Tuesday’s game will play in Sheboygan on Wednesday, with Wednesday’s winner advancing to the four-team Wisconsin Class A State Tournament August 5-6 in Marinette, WI.
Lombard and Addison are not eligible for the tournament, West Allis has an automatic bid into the tournament as the defending champions, and Green Bay will be in the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League qualifiers due to travel proximity.
The Sheboygan A's are members of the Wisconsin State League and Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). All Sheboygan A's home games are played at Wildwood Baseball Park in Sheboygan. Connect with the A's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
