A little this, a little that...

Published on: 8/18/2010

It's not often you see the scoreboard operator score the winning run in a baseball game. But it happened when the Brookfield Bulldogs rallied to beat Oconomowoc in the Land O' Lakes Western Division playoffs on Sunday at McCoy Field.

The Bulldogs were trailing by a run in the bottom of the 11th inning and SP Josh Eidt was running the scoreboard since he had left the game a few innings before. With veteran DH Ernest Castro slated to bat second in the inning, Manager Jason Booth passed the word to Eidt to get out of his flip-flops and into his spikes because he might pinch run for Castro if he gets on base.

Scott Booth opened the inning and was safe on an error. Castro, even at 44 years old one of the league's most feared hitters, then ripped a double to left-center and scored Scott Booth with the tying run. Eidt then ran for Castro.

Mike Jacobs then dropped a bunt down the third base line and when the third baseman threw the ball away trying to get the speedy Jacobs at first, Eidt scored all the way from second with the winning run.

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As a result of the win, the Bulldogs host top-seeded West Bend on Saturday at 1 p.m. at McCoy Field. Since the 7-UP won the regular season title, this is a double-elimination tourney for them, while everyone else can lose once and go home.

That means the Bulldogs need to win at home Saturday and force a winner-take-all game at West Bend on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Unfortunately, since this isn't big league baseball, Brookfield will be short-handed against West Bend. Catcher Brandon Reddinger, a former minor-leaguer, will be in Seattle for the weekend. So Jacobs will move behind the plate and catch Eidt. This is a former Brookfield Central battery. With Josh Lemke taking Jacobs place at third.

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Brookfield East beat last year's state champs Muskego, 2-1, on Tuesday, to open the season. Brookfield Central opens against state runner-up Madison Memorial on Friday at 7 p.m. at home. The only way to measure yourself is against the best in the state and coaches Herbie Dundun of East and Jon Mroz of Central show that with their scheduling.

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Golf, swimming and tennis are also up and running and Brook East (at Pulask), Brook Central (at Germantown), Wauwatosa West (at Burlington Catholic Central) and Wauwatosa East (Racine Horlick at Hart Park) will all don the pads in scrimmages on Friday.

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Later

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