The 2018 Karben4 Athletics culminated a successful season with a 9-1 victory in the MABL Southern
Wisconsin 35+ championship over perennial rival Monarchs. The Athletics scraped and clawed their way
to a 9-5 regular season record in a much improved and more competitive Friday Night League, good
enough for a 4 seed in the playoff pool. Only 2 games separated the top five teams in the league, so the
playoffs appeared to be set for some very competitive matchups. The A’s got off to a good start by
defeating the red hot Pirates in round 1, thanks to a balanced offensive attack, and solid pitching by
Andy DeRocher, Bill Coker and Jeff Jenkins. Josh Glascock’s 2 run double in the 6 th broke open an
otherwise tight game, allowing the A’s to coast to a 9-2 victory.

Round 2 matched the A’s against the Mules. A steady stream of runs from the start of the game,
allowed the A’s to roll to an 11-5 victory setting up a classic semi-final in Week 3 against the Number
One Seeded Mariners.

The Mariners and A’s split during the regular season, each winning in lopsided fashion, which meant
only one thing for this Round 3 playoff matchup. This game would have to be a barn burner. Both
teams brought their A-games with solid pitching, timely hitting and great defense. The A’s jumped out
to an early 2-0 lead and added a third run in the top of the 6 th . Jeff Jenkins stymied the potent Mariners
offense for 5 2/3 innings, but after 2 runners reached with two outs, the Mariners tied the game with a
3-run dramatic homerun. Jenkins struck out the last batter in the 6 th , sending this semifinal to the 7 th , all
tied. The determined A’s offense scratched together a couple of hits and a walk to load the bases with
one out in the top of the seventh. A rocket shot off the bat of Brent Perzentka was snagged by the
Mariners 2 nd basemen and the go ahead run was cut down at the plate. One batter later, Dan Haueter’s
ground ball found its way through the infield and gave the A’s the ultimate winning run.

The championship game was set, and like four of the previous five years, the Monarchs would play the
A’s for all the marbles. The Monarchs had a five-year reign on the league crown after knocking off the
A’s each time they met in the regular season finale. This year, however would provide the outcome the
Athletics desired. The A’s bats were smoking from the start as they plated four runs in the first thanks in
part to Dan Haueter’s 2 run homer. A single run in the third, and two run innings in the 5 th and 7 th gave
the A’s a commanding 9-0 lead. 2 run homers off the bats of Mike Schoonveld and once again, Dan
Haueter, were the sources of the insurance runs as the game went on. Jeff Jenkins was masterful on the
mound, going the distance with 9 strikeouts and allowing only one unearned run in the bottom of the
ninth to give the A’s the championship.

2018 proved to be a great season for MABL Southern Wisconsin, which lived up to its National League of
the Month award in early 2018. Each team improved as the league became more competitive top to
bottom, and most importantly gave over 150 middle aged men a place to play baseball every Friday
night from April through October in Wisconsin. Thanks to the umpires, MABL National, and all the
players for making 2018 a great season!