Getting over the over-.500 hump

Regardless of what happens during the rest of the Port Washington High School baseball season, the Pirates will have had a successful year compared teams of the past.

Port is 14-12 heading into the playoffs, ensuring it will finish above .500 for the season.

For Port, that’s a humongous step.

Coaches and those connected to the program tried to figure out the last time Port eclipsed the .500 mark. For the conference, it has been 44 years, according to coach Zach Perkins. Port is 9-3 and finished second in the Glacier Trails Conference.

For the overall record, it could be much longer.

“It’s been a long time. One of our goals we set. Obviously, we want to play to our ability. We wanted to compete for conference. We finished alone in second, and we wanted to be above .500 overall,” Perkins said. “Kudos to our guys. It takes a lot to take a program and for them to be able to compete day in, day out, a lot of four or five-game weeks.”

“That really changes the identity of Port baseball,” sophomore all-conference pitcher Max Webb said. “You win seven games, it’s a celebration. Now, we can actually celebrate something real, over .500. It’s big.”

Senior utility player Dawson Dinkel appreciates the sucess.

“It means a lot, just being in the program for four years. We weren’t really good at the start,” he said. “Last year, we started to pick up the pace and get going. I feel like this year really is everything we’ve ever done here comes down to this moment.”

Port last Friday won its third game in a row, 11-0, over visiting Ozaukee. Thomas Ward, who threw a five-inning no-hitter a couple of weeks ago, got out of two bases-loaded, one-out jams. One was thanks to Webb, who caught a fly ball in left field and fired to JJ Bergin at home, who tagged the Warrior trying to score.

Ward allowed two hits in four innings, walking three and whiffing five.

“He’s a competitor. He does not shy away from the moment, whatever it is,” Perkins said. “We saw it the first week of the season against Cedar Grove-Belgium — he pitched five innings and shut the door. He’s been doing that all season.”

Jack Bunyan had a double and a home run over the left field fence, three RBIs and two runs scored.

“I saw first pitch fastball and my eyes lit up a little bit. I got a good swing on it,” he said.

“Jack is finding his groove,” Perkins said.

Bergin had two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. Carson Hill had a hit and two RBIs. Ward had two hits. Dinkel had a double and an RBI.

Bergin has been hot, going 5-for-7 in a two-game stretch.

“He’s been tremendous the past several weeks and has done a great job behind the plate all season as well,” Perkins said.

Port came into the game after sweeping Sheboygan South. The Pirates won at home, 12-1, on May 19, and on the road, 11-2, last Thursday.

In the second game, Bergin had three hits and three RBIs. Webb had two hits, including a double, and three RBIs. O’Neil Wright had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Bunyan had two hits and two RBIs.

Jackson Dickson allowed five hits and one run in four innings, whiffing three. Sam Thompson allowed three hits and one run in three innings, whiffing three.

Last Saturday, Port lost its season finale at Hartford, 5-1. Webb had a double and Bergin had a hit and an RBI. Webb allowed five hits, five runs (four earned) and two walks while striking out five in four innings. Thompson allowed a hit in two scoreless innings.

Port got a 4 seed in the Division 2 tournament and on Tuesday, June 2, hosts the winner of the game between No. 5 Kettle Moraine Lutheran and No. 12 Milwaukee School of Languages. If Port wins, it plays Wednesday, June 3.

Ozaukee showing improvement

After a slow start, Ozaukee has picked up the pace and won a few games. Even against Kiel, ranked No. 2 in Division 2, the Warriors only lost, 7-4, holding the Raiders scoreless in the last four innings.

“All season they’ve actually played really well. At the end, we were mixing around pitchers and some personnel and games got away a bit,” coach Steve Kowalkowski said.

“But they kept their composure the whole time and really kept getting after everybody. They haven’t really been getting down.”

Mason Schroeder said the team has come together, which led to success on the field.

“The team camaraderie has definitely improved and how we approach the plate and approach games in general has improved. We know that we’re capable of hanging with and beating any team. It’s just we’ve got to execute every single day,” he said.

Colton Dybul said, “I think we’re all coming together, putting the pieces together. I think we’re definitely peaking at the end.”

Ozaukee, 4-18, got a 9 seed in the Division 4 playoffs and plays at No. 8 Green Bay N.E.W. on Thursday, May 28. The winner plays at No. 1 Lourdes Academy on Tuesday, June 2.