The Kewaskum A’s captured the 2023 Rock River League Grand Championship with a convincing 15-4 win over Milton on Saturday to win the best of three series (2-0). It is the team’s first Grand Championship since the 2012 season which coincidentally was also won in Milton.  The A's went a perfect 5-0 in the postseason as they finished Rock River League play with a final record of 21-2.

 

After riding the left arm of Andy Neu through the first three weekends of the playoffs, the A’s offense finally came to life putting up 13 runs over the first three innings and never looked back. The A’s pounded out 19 hits on the day as every batter collected at least one hit. Mike Prochnow (2B) and Nick Rosenthal (2B, 2 RBI’s) led the way with three hits apiece, while Dylan Detert (RBI), Harry Steldt (RBI), Sean Menzel (2B), Jared Chesak (2B, 5 RBI’s), Brad Young (2 2B’s, 3 RBI’s) and Mike Aiello (2B, 2 RBI’s) finished with two hits each. TJ Roberts rounded out the lineup with a single, but led the way with 4 runs scored.

 

On the mound it was a similar recipe as Andy Neu continued his postseason dominance tossing 7 innings, giving up his first earned run of the playoffs to go along with 13 strikeouts. Jake Sweet (8th) and Jim Ziegler (9th) closed things out on the mound and the celebration was on!

 

Neu took home the playoff MVP award with one of the most dominant postseason pitching performances in recent Rock River League memory. He tossed 31 straight scoreless innings over the A’s last four playoff games which included two wins over perennial power Hartford and then both championship series games against Milton. For the postseason he finished with 4 wins (3 complete games), a sparkling 0.27 ERA, struck out 50 and yielded just 19 hits over 34 innings of work which will go down in A’s folklore.