American Legion baseball Post 83 produces
Sheboygan Press staff • July 1, 2009

Sheboygan's Post 83 legion baseball team got the pitching it has been looking for and swept Green Bay Southwest, the sixth-ranked team in the state, in a doubleheader at Wildwood Park on Tuesday.

Post 83 (11-8) won the first game 4-3 and run-ruled Southwest 12-2 in six innings in the nightcap.

Sam Raff pitched a complete game in the opener, giving up two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts. He won despite six fielding errors behind him.

Justin Reineke had two hits and two runs and Colin Willis, Ryan Hamm and Ryan Eigenberger also had two hits apiece.

In the second game, Hamm went six innings, allowing six hits. The defense behind him played error-free.

Raff and Matt Hendricks each had three RBI, and Jake Ristow had two hits, two runs and two RBI. Josh Gruenke also had two hits.

"It was a good night overall. I'm satisfied with what this team is capable of doing," said Post 83 coach Paul VanLanen, whose team has already equaled its win total of a year ago.

"If we can shore up our pitching and our defense," he said, "we're always going to hit."

Sheboygan hosts Appleton Post 38 on Thursday for a doubleheader starting at 6 p.m.