In the 90's and early 2000's when the Cedarburg Mercs and West Bend 7 Up met usually that meant that something was on the line.  10 years after West Bend 7 Up left the Land O' Lakes Northern Division for the Western Division, the two teams met back up in the first round of the Land O' Lakes Grand Championship.  Cedarburg came out the gates like they were ready to make it a very long day for West Bend and starting pitcher Matt Schubert.  After a four pitch walk to open the game to Brian Bert, Justin Stiever lined a single to centerfield.  With runners at the corners and nobody out John Vandenberg hit a sacrifice fly to score Bert.  But Schubert settled in and got Ross Zahour and Taylor Grimm to pop out in foul territory.  The score remained 1-0 until the 4th when Cedarburg got 2 walks by Taylor Grimm and Zach Lauterbach to open the inning.  With one out Branden Thelen hit a blooping single just over the shortstop's glove to score Grimm.  Then after another walk to Brandon Nedoma to load the bases, Schubert struck out Brian Bert and got Stiever to ground out short to end the inning.  West Bend cut the lead to 2-1 in their half of the 4th when Billy Bynum laced a single to right, then Matt Schubert helped his own cause by hitting a double off the left centerfield fence to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out.  Casey Krohn grounded out scoring Bynum before Cedarburg pitcher Taylor Piel struck out Matt Parrent to end the threat.  The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the 7th when West Bend took the lead, scoring 2 runs.  Matt Parrent reached on perfect bunt, and got to second on the throw to first.  Brandon Mantz then laid down a perfect drag bunt that put runners on the corners.  Jed Justman hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Matt Parrent.  After a Sam Mattheis single to left, runners were again on the corners.  Taylor Koth then hit another sacrifice fly to score Brandon Mantz.  West Bend didn't keep the lead long, as Cedarburg tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the 8th.  Zach Lauterbach and Nick Rachnlein each reached on errors, a sacrifice bunt by Branden Thelen put runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out.  A ground out by Brandon Nedoma tied it at 3, but Taylor Koth got out of it by striking out Brian Bert.  The score remained tied at 3-3 until the bottom of the 9th.  With two outs, Sam Mattheis singled, and then West Bend executed a perfect hit and run when Taylor Koth lined a ball down the left field line scoring Sam Mattheis.  Taylor Koth got the win on the mound for West Bend.  Taylor Piel got the loss for Cedarburg.  Sam Mattheis had 3 hits for West Bend, Matt Schubert had a multiple hit game for 7 Up.  Justin Stiever had a multiple hit game for Cedarburg.  

 

 

The Brookfield Bulldogs returned to the Grand Championship for the first time since winning their last in 2012.  The story of the game for the Bulldogs was Anthony Andres.  Jason Booth's hunches with pitchers have been the story of the Bulldogs in the second half of the 2015 season and he guessed right on Andres.  Andres gave up just 6 hits while striking out 9 in 8 shutout innings.  Plymouth only advance 3 runners past first base.  The 2-3-4 hitters for Brookfield, Kris Franzen, Ryan Hinz, and Scott Booth had 6 of the Bulldogs 9 hits and all 6 RBI.  The Bulldogs jumped out fast scoring 2 in the top of the 1st.  A double by Kris Franzen, a RBI double by Scott Booth, and a RBI single by Bill Gorman gave Brookfield the quick 2-0 lead.  The game woudld stay that way until the 4th when Patrick O'Brien walked, and Franzen reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt moved both runners into scoring position.  RBI sacrifice fly balls by Ryan Hinz and Scott Booth made the score 4-0.  With the score remaining 4-0 until the top of the 5th, Ryan Hinz singled, stole second base and then scored by Scott Booth's RBI single.  Brookfield would put it away in the 8th.  Josh Lemke and Patrick O'Brien would walk, and after Kris Franzen reached on an error and scored Lemke, Ryan Hinz hit a 2 run RBI double.  Greg Basthemer finshed the game for Brookfield on the mound.  Kris Franzen, Ryan Hinz, and Scott Booth each had multiple hit games for Brookfield.

 

 

The 2015 regular season champions and the back to back Grand Champions in Land O' Lakes had to go on the road to the 15-1 Waterford Riverman in a tough matchup.  Pewaukee would show their might right away in the top of the first.  Ryan Solberg would get a base hit and would steal 2nd, a single by Nick Wichser would put runners on the corners with Brock Guetzke at bat.  Guetzke would ground out to score Solberg.  After Pewaukee would load the bases, Brian Henschel would hit a RBI single but Tom Zimmerman would be thrown out at the plate to end the inning.  That would prove to be all the Muskies starter Brian Henschel would need.  Pewaukee would take the 3-0 lead in the 3rd when Nick Wichser hit a solo home run to left.  Waterford would cut the lead to 3-1 when Adam Brachtl would lead the bottom of the 4th off with a double, advance to third on a passed ball, and would score on Jake Lavenberg's RBI ground out.  Pewaukee would go up 4-1 in the top of the 6th after a Brock Guetzke lead off double, Tom Zimmerman scored him on a RBI single.  In the top of the 7th Pewaukee would go up 6-1 Kurt Sarcia and Ryan Solberg reached and Brock Guetzke scored them when he hit a 2 run RBI double.  Waterford would fight back to make it 6-3 when Brad Nowicki led the inning off with a double, advance to 3rd on a single Ben Folger, Both Nowicki and Folger scored on an error.  Ryan Solberg had 3 hits for Pewaukee, Nick Wichser, Brock Guetzke, Greg Harder, and Tom Zimmerman all had multiple hit games.  Ben Folger had a multiple hit game for Waterford.  Brian Henschel went the distance for Pewaukee, striking out 8.  Nick Hurt went the distance for Waterford.