Defensive errors prove costly as Appleton East baseball loses at Neenah

AppletonSportsPage.com

NEENAH – Two big innings helped Neenah down Appleton East 8-4 in a Fox Valley Association baseball game Tuesday at Neenah High School.

The Rockets scored three times in the first inning and added five more in the fourth to take a commanding 8-0 lead and held on from there, despite Appleton East scoring four runs over its final three at-bats.

Cade Prestigiacomo, Mason Winkler and Matthew Bixler each had two hits for the Patriots, who fall to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in the FVA this spring.

East was hurt by seven errors, which led to six unearned runs in the loss.

Andrew Carlson had three hits and Ethan Van Dyke drove in two runs for Neenah (6-3, 4-1 FVA).

Appleton East will hit the road again Thursday with an FVA game at Kaukauna starting at 4:30 p.m.

Rockets 8, Patriots 4
Appleton East   000   011   2   –   4   7   7
Neenah   300   500   x   –   8   11   1
WP: Gus Weinholzer. LP: Matthew Bixler.
SO: Bixler (5 inn.) 2, Alex Thompson (1 inn.) 0; G. Weinholzer (3 2/3 inn.) 7, Tyler Huss (2 1/3 inn.) 0, Taylon Ramos (2/3 inn.) 0, Mack Krause (1/3 inn.) 0. BB: Bixler 1, Thompson 0; G. Weinholzer 3, Huss 1, Ramos 4, Krause 0.
Top hitters: AE, Cade Prestigiacomo 2×4; Mason Winkler 2×2, RBI; Bixler 2×3. N, Trevor Stitchman 3×4, 2 runs; Rams 2B; Isaac Verbruggen 2×3, 2B, RBI; Andrew Carlson 3×4, RBI; Ethan Van Dyke 1×4, 2 runs, 2 RBI.
Records: Appleton East 2-7, 1-4 Fox Valley Association; Neenah 6-3, 4-1 Fox Valley Association.