Posted: June 29, 2010 |(0) Comments

Homestead baseball coach Ernie Millard called his squad and Whitefish Bay's "mirror images of each other" in the way they struggle to finish out games.

Millard knew what he was talking about Tuesday night, as immediately after the Highlanders turned in a heartening three-hit, three-run effort to take a 6-4 lead over the Blue Dukes in the top of the sixth inning of the North Shore game at Cahill Park in Bay, Homestead turned into its own worst enemy.

Homestead commited three costly errors and one crucial balk in allowing Bay to score three runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth and pull out a 7-6 win.

"It's the type of game we've played almost every single time out this season," said a distressed Millard. "We just have to find a way to finish games."

The loss ended a modest two-game winning streak for the Highlanders (4-9 in North Shore play and 8-13 overall).

Meanwhile, the win was breath of fresh air for the Blue Dukes, who lost both the completion of a suspended game and a 10-inning heartbreaker to Grafton last night. In the second contest last night, Bay coach Jay Wojcinski was ejected for arguing a call, and so he remained a spectator on the sidelines of the Homestead tilt, with trusted assistant Eric Vincent handling the game-time reins.

"It was a heck of a game," said Wojcinski, whose squad itself has had problems finishing off victories this summer, "but the kids put in good at bats and put the ball in play."

"Having to finish off a game in the seventh was a pretty familiar spot for us. It was about time we got one done. Maybe this will be the start of good things for us." Bay improved to 6-6 in league play and 15-13 overall.

Homestead tied the game in the top of the sixth as Zach Enea almost ripped the glove off the hand of starting and winning Bay pitcher Pat Rose with an RBI single up the middle. That was followed with a pair of two-out RBI singles by Mitch Hauser and Max Beckers that pushed the Highlanders ahead 6-4.

But when Homestead starter Peter Fraaza tried to anchor that lead in the bottom of the sixth, he got little help from his defense. An infield single by Bay's Austin Gavic was followed by three successive infield errors that allowed the tieing runs to score. Further, when Beckers was called in to relieve Fraaza, he committed a costly balk that allowed the Blue Dukes' James Stecker to score what proved to be the game-winner.

Then in the top of the seventh, Joe Fiorita relieved Rose for Bay and earned the save by putting the Highlanders down in order with a groundout, a lineout and a strikeout.

"Pat (Rose, two strikeouts, four walks and one hit batsmen) battled and kept us in the game," said Wojcinski. "He gave up his hits sure, but he gave us a chance. It was good that we were able to pull this out. In five of our six league losses, we have had a lead going into the seventh inning."

Meanwhile, Millard knows what has to happen in order for the Highlanders to be successful.

"Things have just got to change around here," he said.

The two teams will meet again Friday night at Rennicke Field in Mequon (5:30 p.m.).