Foxes win 26–6

By rattlerradio

The following article is from the May 11, 1985 Appleton Post-Crescent. It is a recap of the Appleton Foxes game at Burlington on May 10. May 10 was a great night for the Foxes offense. Think of this as a bonus Flashback Friday.

The Appleton Foxes exhibited an awesome hitting display at the expense of 5 Burlington pitchers in a 26–6 Midwest League rout Friday night.

The Foxes banged out 25 hits, including 8 in the third inning off starter and loser Sid Akins, who pitched for the U.S. Olympic baseball team last summer.

Foxes’ centerfielder Mike Taylor drove in 6 runs with a pair of homers and a double, while Wes Kent, Luis Peraza, and Troy Thomas each had 4 RBIs. Jerry Bertolani, Peraza, Taylor, and Kent all had 3 hits for Appleton, which was held hitless in the first two innings.

Taylor belted a solo homer and a 3-run blast as the Foxes exploded for 8 runs in the third inning. Both of his home runs were 380-foot shots that cleared the fence in left center.

Thomas contributed a 2-run double to the outburst, while Peraza and Ed Sedar delivered run scoring singles.

The Foxes took a 14–1 lead with 6 runs in the fourth. Thomas keyed the uprising with a 2-run single, while Buck Autry and Peraza had RBI singles. Pete Venturini and Taylor were also credited with RBIs during the frame.

Appleton tallied 3 runs in the sixth as Peraza clouted a 2-run homer — his fourth of the season — and Venturini singled home a run.

Kent’s 3-run homer (his fifth), a 400-foot blast to center, highlighted the Foxes’ 6-run seventh. Taylor just missed his third homer of the night and had to settle for a 2-run double off the centerfield fence. John Caianello also had an RBI single.

Caianello and Kent rapped back-to-back tun-scoring doubles in the eighth. Bertolani singled home the Foxes’ final run in the ninth.

The Foxes finished with 11 extra base hits. They were also the beneficiaries of 4 Ranger errors.

Chris Jefts, 3–1, notched the win for the Foxes. He pitched 5 innings and gave up all of the Rangers’ 6 runs and 7 hits. Two of the runs were unearned.

Mark Ruckbeil and Jim Phelps silenced Burlington over the final 4 innings. Ruckbeil hurled 3 innings and struck out 3.

Larry Klein was 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Rangers, while Dale Lanik and Neal Reilly each knocked in 2 runs.

Burlington (7–22) hosts Appleton (18–10) again tonight.

R H E

APPLETON FOXES 008 603 621–26 25 1

BURLINGTON RANGERS 001 032 000–6 7 4

TIME: 3:36

FOXES BOXSCORE
AB R H BI
Taylor, CF 6 3 3 6
Pruitt, RF 7 3 1 0
Bertolani, 2B 6 2 3 1
Thomas, DH 4 1 2 4
Martin, PH-DH 4 1 1 0
Peraza, 1B 6 4 3 4
Markert, C 3 2 1 0
Caianello, PH-C 2 2 2 2
Sedar, LF 2 2 2 1
Kent, PH-LF 3 2 3 4
Autry, 3B 5 1 2 1
Venturini, SS 5 3 2 2
TOTALS 53 26 25 25

2B: Thomas, Bertolani, Venturini (2), Taylor, Caianello, Kent
HR: Taylor 2, Peraza, Kent