--by Brett Kruschke
Carver 2 @ Tigers 0 (Tuesday, July 25)
The Black Sox’ soft-tossing Joe Campbell threw a complete game
shutout, ending Tiger hopes of a run to the Regional playoffs, and,
their season. “Smilin’ Joe” yielded seven hits and
worked out of trouble on several occassions, much to the chagrin of
the Tigers’ Hack Attack. The left-hander struck out six and more
importantly, didn’t walk a batter.
The Tigers opened the playoffs on Friday with a 3-0 win over Carver, thanks to a complete game shutout by the high-handed ace himself, Shane Hofmann. And it was Hofmann again, on three days rest, to see if he could pull the trick one more time.
He gave up two runs – one earned – in seven innings of work, a so-called “quality start” by modern standards (in the old days, you had to throw back-to-back no-hitters on the same day, just to get credit for one). Hofmann’s combined line of 16 innings and one earned run looks all-the-more impressive when you consider that in-between these Tiger matchups, Carver out-slugged the Winthrop Lumber Company by the staggering score of 20-17. That’s right – Carver beat Winthrop 20 to 17!
Carver put across the game’s first run in the fifth, an unearned run thanks to a Tiger error. They would add one more in the 6th for a 2-0 lead, and the final margin of victory. Belle Plaine tallied three errors on the night, while the Sox played gaffe-free ball.
El Tigre knocked on the door several times but couldn’t break through, leaving five runners in scoring position through the first six innings. After that, “Joe Camel” retired 10 of Belle Plaine’s last 11 batters, the only interruption a two-out single in the seventh.
Hofmann gave way to Ryan Witt on the mound, who fanned four batters in his two innings of scoreless work.
There are no excuses come playoff time (the rest of the year – heck yes!), but Team Tigertown was missing three starters in Pat Schultz, Dave Kreft, and Adam Hoffman. And when you’ve lost 13 of 15 coming into the game, that’s probably not a good thing.
It did allow the Tigers to showcase their “Infield of the Future” (Team Dippin’ Dots – see boxscore), as the average age around the horn was 17 years old. Despite a combined three errors, they did not receive the dreaded “NC-17” rating. Rather, their futures are so bright, fans in the front row are advised to wear eye black next year.
After beating Belle Plaine, Carver went on to beat Waconia 9-8 to advance to Regional play for the first time “since the mid-80’s”, said a Carver source. The game was played Thursday night, at Tiger Park. The #4-seeded Black Sox trailed 7-1 in the 7th, before mounting the improbable comeback over the #1-seeded Lakers, sending them home.
Brownton then beat Carver 6-2 on Saturday to claim the CCL-Red championship and the CCL-Red’s #1 seed heading to Region 6C play. Carver is the #2 seed from the CCL-Red. Le Sueur is the #1 seed from the CCL-White, and Arlington the #2 seed. These four CCL teams will meet up with #1 seed Union Hill and #2 seed St. Patrick of the DRS-Blue, to complete the six-team Region 6C bracket. (See bracket accompanying story, or visit www.bptigertown.com, where updates will be posted.)
In the CCL-Red draft, Brownton went first and selected pitcher Rob Wagener of Waconia. Carver took pitcher Shane Hofmann of the Tigers with their first pick; Brownton countered with Tiger catcher Pat Schultz. Finally, Carver went pitching again with Tiger hurler Mike Schultz. Tigertown is proud to send these three players on to Regions! Hopefully next year, the rest of the team will go with them.
You won’t have to travel far to keep tabs on your Tigers (Mike and Shane, anyway), as Carver will once again use Tiger Park as their home field tonight (Wednesday), at 8:00 pm, when they take on the Arlington A’s. Hofmann is expected to get the ball tonight in the opener, according to Carver manager Mike Sparrow. (Insert “Wohler to Start for Marshall” joke here.)
The Tigers won three of their first four out of the gate, and sat at 7-7 at the season’s halfway point. However, that’s when the wheels feel off, as El Tigre lost 12 of their final 13 regular season games.
The Red Caps opened the playoffs with a 3-0 win over Carver and nearly topped #1 seed Waconia, losing 4-3 in the ninth. A 2-0 loss to Regional quailifer Carver ended the season.
In CCL ‘C’ games, Belle Plaine went 3-9 but was outscored just 61-45, a total of 16 runs over 12 games. The locals lost four league games but one run, and three non-league games by one run. The Tigers feel they had a better season than their record indicated, but also must learn how to win close ballgames and prove it on the field.
Perhaps another year under the belts will do that, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that the Tigers did christen six rookies this year. In fact, 13 of the Tigers’ 22-man roster has played three years or less. A 9-21 record (4-13 CCL) might lead someone to say, “Now I know why tigers eat their young!” but the ball club is optimistic as they look forward to next year.
Individually, Nate Hartmann (.346) edged Pat Schultz (.343) for the team batting crown, no small feat as Schultz has won it two of the previous three years. Matt Schultz hit .355, but did not have enough at-bats to qualify (11-for-31; see – rookies get hosed at every opportunity on this team.)
It’s not exactly Denny McClain’s 1968 win total, but Shane Hofmann led the staff with three victories and also took the team ERA title at 2.36. He may well have completed the triple crown by leading in strikeouts, but I haven’t tabulated those yet. Everything should be up on the website within a week or two, if you care to check it out.
Thanks as always to our fans and those whose hard work make Tiger baseball possible – we appreciate all your efforts and support. See you at the ballpark in 2007!
The
Black Sox’ soft-tossing Joe Campbell threw a complete game shutout,
ending Tiger hopes of a run to the Regional playoffs, and, their season.
“Smilin’ Joe” yielded seven hits and worked out of trouble
on several occassions, much to the chagrin of the Tigers’ Hack Attack.
The left-hander struck out six and more importantly, didn’t walk
a batter. The Tigers opened the playoffs on Friday with a 3-0 win over Carver, thanks to a complete game shutout by the high-handed ace himself, Shane Hofmann. And it was Hofmann again, on three days rest, to see if he could pull the trick one more time.
He gave up two runs – one earned – in seven innings of work, a so-called “quality start” by modern standards (in the old days, you had to throw back-to-back no-hitters on the same day, just to get credit for one). Hofmann’s combined line of 16 innings and one earned run looks all-the-more impressive when you consider that in-between these Tiger matchups, Carver out-slugged the Winthrop Lumber Company by the staggering score of 20-17.
Carver put across the game’s first run in the fifth, an unearned run thanks to a Tiger error. They would add one more in the 6th for a 2-0 lead, and the final margin of victory. Belle Plaine tallied three errors on the night, while the Sox played gaffe-free ball.
El Tigre knocked on the door several times but couldn’t break through, leaving five runners in scoring position through the first six innings. After that, “Joe Camel” retired 10 of Belle Plaine’s last 11 batters, the only interruption a two-out single in the seventh.
Hofmann gave way to Ryan Witt on the mound, who fanned four batters in his two innings of scoreless work.
There are no excuses come playoff time (the rest of the year – heck yes!), but Team Tigertown was missing three starters in Pat Schultz, Dave Kreft, and Adam Hoffman. And when you’ve lost 13 of 15 coming into the game, that’s probably not a good thing.
It did allow the Tigers to showcase their “Infield of the Future” (Team Dippin’ Dots – see boxscore), as the average age around the horn was 17 years old. Despite a combined three errors, they did not receive the dreaded “NC-17” rating. Rather, their futures are so bright, fans in the front row are advised to wear eye black next year.
--by Brett Kruschke
The 5th-seeded Tigers almost pulled the upset, but couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead at Waconia and lost 4-3 on a two-out single in the ninth. The top-seeded Lakers entered with a 20-9 record, while the Tigers came in at 9-19 and losers of 12 of their previous 14.
The loss to Waconia came on the heels of a 3-0 victory for the Tigers over Carver, on Friday night. Last night, the Tigers rematched with Carver at home, as the Black Sox defeated Winthrop 20-17 on Sunday to eliminate the Eagles. Check www.bptigertown.com for an update on this season-hangs-in-the-balance game.
If the Tigers lost, it is time to get out the golf clubs, as the season is over. If the T-Town Express reigned victorious last night, they will play Thursday night at 7:30 pm, either at Brownton or as hosts to Waconia, depending on the outcome of that battle. (Yes – the scenarios get a little dizzying – please see the accompanying playoff bracket for help. Also, the Tiger website should have these updates and matchups the following morning.)
If the Tigers play and win Thursday, they will play Saturday for the CCL-Red championship, and more importantly, seeding privledges in Region 6C play, which will begin Wednesday, August 2nd. But let’s not put the ox before the cart. Go Tigers!
Tigers 3 vs. Carver 0, at Belle Plaine (Friday,
July 21)
Having lost 12 of 13, momentum wasn’t exactly something the Tigers
had on their side as they entered the playoffs. Throw in the fact that
Tigertown was victim of the infamous “Carver sweep” earlier
this year, and the locals were desperate. In fact, the Tigers played
with a sense of desperation that may have been the key to their 3-0
victory.
If so, Shane Hofmann definitely served the role of head janitor, displaying an impressive set of keys that included a complete game, seven-hit shutout. Also dangling from his chain was nine big strikeouts among his 128 pitches. Hofmann walked only one batter on the evening.
The Black Sox put at least one man in scoring position in five of the nine innings, but each time were denied by the right-handed ace. No situation was larger than the eighth, when Hofmann struck out cleanup hitter Tim Campbell looking on a full count, with runners at first and second and two outs.
The Tigers clung to a 2-0 lead at the time, and served as visitors on the scoreboard as Carver arranged to play the game in Belle Plaine, due to a lack of lights at their home field.
El Tigre plated the game’s decisive first run when eight-hitter Peter Schuneman doubled in Matt Schultz all the way from first base. Schuneman was thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple, and the Tigers weren’t heard from again until the eighth.
In the eighth, Nick Volek was hit by a pitch with one out, was wild pitched to second, and scored on a two-out single by Dave Kreft. In the ninth, the Big Grr added their third and final run when Black Sox starter Jay Trocke came apart like a cheap rental suit. Trocke dripped veteran savvy to that point, but after recording the inning’s first out, walked the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches (insert Harry Doyle sound byte here). Ross Tichy relieved, but was greeted by a sacrfice fly off the bat of Matt Schultz, making it 3-0.
Kreft and Schuneman led the way with two hits each, while both of Schuneman’s safeties were doubles. Brett Kruschke coached a stellar game at 3rd base, making zero mistakes that anyone would dare recall.
Tigers 3 @ Waconia 4 (Sunday, July 23)
The Tigers entered this battle without their # 3 hitter and veteran
catcher, Pat Schultz, who was off to his honeymoon after getting married
the day before. But as I’ve been telling Pat all year, he can’t
hit lefties anyway, so he wouldn’t have been in the lineup against
Laker southpaw Travis Van Doren (yeah, right).
The backdrop for this game turned out eerily similar. The Tigers lost 7-2 to Waconia on May 30, but on June 25, Mike Schultz lost at Waconia when he worked 8.1 innings, throwing 133 pitches as the Lakers rallied for two in the ninth to win, 4-3. On this night, Mike Schultz worked 8.1 innings and took the loss in the 9th, throwing 135 pitches.
The 135th pitch was Schultz’s last, as leadoff hitter Blaine Walstrom smoked a one-out, one-hop triple off the wall in right, just beating the relay throw ahead of third baseman Paul Dressen’s tag. Ryan Witt relieved, and fielded a hot comebacker to record the second out. But on his fourth pitch, 3-hitter Dan Chrest sent a single up the middle, ending the ballgame.
The Tigers took a 3-1 lead in the fourth, scoring two
runs on a fielder’s choice and an error on the same play, which
allowed Nate Hartmann and Shane Hofmann to both “come on down”.
In the fifth, the Lakers tied it up on a two-run double by cleanup hitter
Dana Hegman.
The Tigers failed to get down a couple of bunts, and also ran into a
tag on a double play, that could have led to a fourth run. But loser’s
remorse is always a game of “if’s”. It could also
be said that Mike Schultz – to his credit – pitched out
of several tough spots where the Lakers could have taken advantage.
Offensively, the Tigers scraped together only five hits off complete game victor Travis “Don’t Call Me Mimi” Van Doren, with Adam Hoffman and Matt Schultz leading the way with two apiece. Hoffman also drove in the Tigers’ first run with an RBI single in the third.
It should be noted that this game lasted approximately 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 8 seconds longer than Mike and Matt Schultz’s co-best man’s speech at their brother’s wedding on Saturday.
Belle
Plaine, Minn. - The Cleveland Condors defeated the Belle Plaine
Tigers 9-7 last night, as the Tigers committed an abhorrent nine
errors through five innings of play. Then, the Tiger pitchers decided
enough was enough, and took matters into their own hands - recording
12 of the final 13 outs by strikeout! The streak was 12 straight
until Eric Lyons induced a 6-3 groundout for the final out of the
ninth.
July 18, 2006 Herald Article
--by Brett Kruschke
The story of the Tigers season has been starting out 7-7, then proceeding to drop 10 of 11 (last night’s regular season finale against the Cleveland Condors not included – check www.bptigertown.com, or wait for next week’s Herald). The Tigers have a chance Friday to start fresh and make some noise, or sink further into the abyss that has been their second-half slide.
That chance will come Friday in the form of the Carver Black Sox – but be warned: these are not your father’s Black Sox. (Well, they might be your father’s, as Carver was pretty good back then; but, these are definitely not your older brother’s Black Sox – let’s put it that way). Carver beat the Tigers twice this season for the first time in recent memory, defeated Jordan 10-5, and also beat the Shakopee Indians for the first time since the mid-80’s.
So now we will find out if the old cliché “it’s hard to beat someone three times in a season” holds true. Carver is the higher seed – # 4 vs. Belle Plaine’s # 5 – but does not have lights at their home field, so the game will be played in Belle Plaine, with Carver serving as the home team on the scoreboard. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
If the Tigers win, they will play Sunday at #1-seed Waconia, at 7:30 pm. If they lose, it will depend on whom the Tigers are facing: if it’s # 2-seed Brownton, the game will be played at 7:30 pm in Union Hill, serving as Belle Plaine’s home game (there is a Legion Tournament at Tiger Park this weekend and next); if it’s # 3-seed Winthrop, the game will be at Winthrop at 2:00 pm.
If the Tigers are still alive, they will also have a game on Tuesday; follow along with the scores at www.bptigertown.com. Please see the attached playoff bracket for full details and scenarios.
The Tigers lost 2-0 at Brownton on Tuesday, July 11, but did not have any other games over the past week. Belle Plaine finished the regular season with a 4-13 record in the CCL-Red, and is currently 8-18 overall.
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Mike Schultz got the nod on the hill for Team Tigertown, and battled through five, leaving with a 2-0 deficit. Jonny Schulz came in and did some nifty relief work, to keep the Bruins at bay and the Tigers within striking distance.
The Tigers best scoring threat came in the seventh, when they loaded the bases with one out. But as has been the story for quite some time now, the Tigers couldn’t deliver in the clutch and left the bases full. El Tigre went out with a whimper, gaining only one baserunner over the final two innings.
Hartmann raised his batting average to .372, while Pat Schultz
went 0-for-2 with two walks, and ranks second on the team at .344.
Brett Kruschke is 0-for-2 this year and currently off the 20-man
roster.
The Tigers still have one home game remaining on the regular season
schedule - Fan Apprecition Night next Tuesday (July 18) against
the Cleveland Condors. Good tickets still available.
TIGERS
IN A FREE FALLApple, peaches, pumpkin pie
you ain’t got no alibi
You ug-ly! You ug-ly!
You get the point. It’s been anything but pretty for the hometown team lately, well – for about three weeks now. El Tigerino lost all four games since the July 4th “All Star Break”, and if not for a 10-7 win over Plato on June 29, would have a 10-game losing streak. Not exactly the type of momentum a team wants to build with the playoffs looming – just nine days away, in fact. (CCL-Red playoffs open July 21; look for bracket and full details in next week’s paper.)
Last night (Tuesday, July 11), the Tigers ventured to Brownton for their final regular-season CCL match of the year. This Tuesday (July 18), the Tigers will host the Cleveland Condors in the final game of the regular season. It will also be Fan Appreciation Night, with free prizes for our deserving fans, all night long. Season ticket giveaways for 2007 will be included, among other items. Who knows – some good hustle or just on a whim, and Manager Kreft is apt to pick you out and stick you in the lineup. I’d show up. And bring your glove.
Overall, the Tigers are 4-12 in the CCL-Red, 8-17 overall. Like LaVonne Behnke once said, “But these are good kids!”
Chaska 5 @ Tigers 1 (Thursday, July 6)
The Chaska Cubs got up early, and cruised to a victory over the hometown
Tigers. Starter Jonny Schulz gave up all of his runs (four) and six
of his nine hits through the first three innings, then settled down
nicely before exiting after seven.
However, it was already too much for Las Tigras, who would scratch out only four hits and one measly run on the day. The shutout was avoided in the fifth, when Nick “Thumper” Volek came around to score on Chaska’s only error of the game.
Adam Hoffman and Ryan Witt finished up on the hill for the locals, going an inning each. Rookie and Fastest Tiger canidate Matt Schultz paced the offense with a 2-for-4 performance.
New Tiger bat boys Jon Schmidt and Andrew Carey did a top notch job, other than creating about 15 dust storms in front of the home dugout.
Tigers 7 @ Arlington 10 (Friday, July 7)
The Tigers stormed back from a 7-2 deficit with five runs in the seventh
to tie it, only to surrender three in the eighth and lose at Arlington,
10-7. What really hurts is the Tigers gave up the fabled Red Helmet,
which had been theirs since swiping it several years ago, then telling
the A’s they had to win it back. The Tigers saw their six-game
winning streak against Arlington end, a streak that dated back to
July 18, 2002.
Mike Schultz started on the mound for the Tiger Train, and wasn’t his usual crisp self, lasting just four innings while giving up five runs (three earned). Dave Feldt came on in relief, and was tagged with the loss when a decent outing turned sour in the eighth. Arlington peppered four hits within five batters, giving them more than enough for the final 10-7 margin.
In between, Belle Plaine sent 11 men to the plate in the seventh and scored five runs, despite leaving the bases loaded. The Tigers also had a chance to plate the go-ahead run in the eighth, when Dave Kreft laced his fourth hit – a double – to lead off the inning. Kreft was sacrificed to third by Peter “Chicken Wing” Schuneman, but was subsequently thrown out at home trying to score on Ryan Dressen’s ground ball to third.
The Tigers once again brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, in the form of Ryan Witt, but he lined out to first to end the ballgame.
Aside from Kreft’s triumphant return to his former town of Arlington, Pat Schultz went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks. Adam Hoffman also drew an incredible four walks from the 2-hole, and the Tigers drew free passes eleven times in all.
Gaylord 7 @ Tigers 6 (10 innings –
Sunday, July 9)
The Tigers once again showed late-inning spunk, scoring three in the
9th to tie the game at six. One could also say the Tigers again failed
to put the final nail in the coffin, as the bases were left loaded
and they went on to lose 7-6 in 10 innings.
Starter Shane Hofmann took a 3-3 game to the 8th, but yielded a two-run homer and soon gave way to reliever Ryan “I immediately regret this Sombrero” Witt. Witt surrendered another run in the 9th, and the Tigers faced a 6-3 deficit with three outs to go.
Pat Schultz opened the 9th with a walk, and Shane Hofmann singled with one out – his third hit of the afternoon. A walk to Kreft loaded the bases, and another walk to Witt forced in a run. Schuneman then laced his third hit of the day – and second double – to right-center, plating pinch-runners Ryan Dressen and Nick Selly. With runnners at second and third and one out, the Tigers fouled off a squeeze attempt, then struck out, walked, and hit into a fielder’s choice to end the rally.
After the Islanders posted a run in the tenth, the Tiger Trolley again put runners on in the bottom half of the frame, but could not deliver them home. Oohhhh… whoa is Tiger.
Tigers 2 @ Winthrop 4 (Sunday, July 9)
This was the longest game ever, since it started back on June 6th.
Actually, it was a suspended game because the umpire broke his collarbone
on a foul ball, and could not continue. So after dropping an extra-inning
affair to Gaylord, off most of the Tigers went, to Winthrop.
If Michael J. Fox could go Back to the Future, I don’t think he’d jet back to June 6, 2006 for the first seven innings of this game. But since time travel still hasn’t been invented, I will fill you in.
The Tigers trailed 4-2 with one out in the seventh at the time that fateful bone cracked. Dave Kreft started that day, and ironically also took the hill upon the resumption of this game (Dave’s got a real fettish for complete games; don’t ask).
I wasn’t able to attend the remaining portion of this game, but eye witness accounts have it going something like this: Kreft shut down the Eagles in the 7th and 8th. In the Tiger eighth, the inning ended when Paul Dressen was rung up on a HORRIBLE pitch at his shoe tops, because earlier in the at-bat Paul hit a foul ball that almost hit the ump’s truck. (You can’t make this stuff up.) That left a man on base.
In the Tiger ninth, Brad Lawson started with a single. Ben Jass then hit into a fielder’s choice, but after a 2-3 minute delay, the umpire claimed Lawson slid out of baseline (which he didn’t), meaning Jass was now called out, too. Manager Kreft pleaded the Tigers’ case, to no avail. One out later, the Tigers were headed back east down US-Highway 19.
Tigers Lose 5-1 to Chaka
| 7/6/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Chaska | 0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
10 |
1 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
The Tigers travel to Arlington Friday, July 07 for a 7:30 p.m.
start with the A’s.
Times have been kind of rough lately for the hometown nine, as an 8-6 loss to Le Sueur on Tuesday (June 27) ran the Tigers’ losing skid to six straight. However, the Tigers were able to rebound nicely with a 10-7 win over Plato on Thursday. The Blue Jays entered with an impressive 12-5 record out of the Crow River Valley League.
Belle Plaine was .500 on June 13th, after an 11-7 win over Brownton. Since then, however, the Tigers have been going downhill like Herchel Walker on a greased bobsled. Their record now stands at 4-8 in the CCL-Red, 8-13 overall.
But with each game there’s fresh hope, and after a week off over the 4th of July weekend, the Tigers will get back in the saddle and try to build some momentum for the playoffs. The playoffs, mind you, are just around the corner – beginning Friday, July 21st.
The Tigers have just six games remaining before then – with half of those at home – starting tomorrow night when the Chaska Cubs visit at 7:30 pm. On Friday, Belle Plaine treks to Arlington to try to retain possession of the Red Helmet. Game time, 7:30 pm.
On Sunday, the Tigers will host Gaylord at 2:00 pm, on Senior Day – all senior citizens will receive free admission, and the one-and-only Ernie Stumpf will provide the music. (Pearl Jam and Tom Petty were just in town, and now Ernie – they say these things happen in three’s.) After the game, the Tigers will load up the family trucksters and head to Winthrop, for the conclusion of the June 6 suspended game. Action will resume with one out in the bottom of the 7th, Tigers trailing, 4-2.
On Tuesday, the Tigre Train will play their final road game of the regular season, when they battle division-leading Brownton at 7:30 pm.
Three-quarters of the way through the regular season, the Tigers’ team batting average is .257, the team ERA 4.06. Just thought you might like to know. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.
| 6/27/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Le Sueur | 2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
14 |
4 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
10 |
3 |
Belle Plaine had the tying runs in scoring position in the bottom of the 9th, but Braves’ closer Adam Sorenson got Dave Kreft on strikes, ending the ballgame. In reality, the game wasn’t this close – the Tigers trailed 8-3 in the 6th before staging their all-for-naught comeback.
Not to pick on Kreft, but he also started on the mound and took the loss for the Tiggers, dropping his record to 1-4. He worked the first 4.1 innings before yielding to Shane Hofmann, who went the rest of the way. Hofmann fanned seven while allowing two runs.
Hitting-wise, the Tigers belted the ball around the park a little, led by Pat Schultz’s double and triple in five at-bats. Shane Hofmann added a double among his two hits, and Nate Hartmann collected a pair of rips to send his average up to a Joe Mauer-esque .391. All three of these fine young gentlemen drove in two runs each.
Neither team was particularly crisp on defense, as the visitors committed four errors; the home team, three.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-13, 4-8) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| S. Hofmann, cf-p | 4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.306 |
| Lawson, ss | 5 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.226 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.342 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.391 |
| Lyons, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| R. Witt, 1b-rf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.233 |
| Kreft, p-1b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.146 |
| Feldt, rf-lf | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.175 |
| Jass, 2b | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.211 |
| Schuneman, lf-cf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.156 |
| TOTALS | 37 |
6 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
.270 |
| 2B - S. Hofmann, P. Schultz. 3B - P. Schultz. HR - none. | ||||||
| SAC - none. HBP - Kreft. SB - none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (L, 1-4) | 4.1 |
10 |
6/6 |
0/4 |
75 |
6.11 |
| S. Hofmann | 4.2 |
4 |
2/2 |
3/7 |
66 |
2.89 |
| 6/29/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Plato | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
10 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 3 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
X |
10 |
17 |
3 |
Ryan Witt paced a 17-hit attack, going 3-for-5 with 5 RBI, a double and a home run, to lead the Tigers to a 10-7 victory over the Plato Bluejays. Witt’s home run was just the Tigers’ second of the season, so Witty slowed down the trot and made it count. The husky slugger has raised his batting average to .271, this after starting out the season with a Rondell White-like 1-for-17 slump (.059).
Brad Lawson also garnered three hits, while Shane Hofmann, Matt Schultz, Paul Dressen, Eric Lyons, and Nick Volek all tallied two apiece. Hofmann drove in three runs out of the leadoff spot, and stroked a double.
You might notice the youthful tone to the previous paragraph, and that is because the Tigers unveiled their “Infield of the Future” with teeny-boppers Matt Schultz at first, Eric Lyons at second, Brad Lawson at shortstop, and Paulie Dressen at third. Our hope is that they will stick around as long as Dippin’ Dots, the Ice Cream of the Future. (Which is now enjoying at least it’s 20th year as the Ice Cream of the Future.)
The Tigers were aggressive on the bases, stealing four bags, including a double-steal by Matt Schultz and Paul Dressen. (There’s nothing a tight haircut from Brad’s Barber Shop can’t take care of.)
Starting pitcher Jonny Schulz got in trouble in the 5th inning, but was bailed out by Dave Feldt. “Super Dave” limited Plato to three hits and one (unearned) over the remaining 4.2 innings, while picking up the win. Not that he’d ever point it out, but his ERA dropped to a tidy 1.65 in the process.
Tigers Leave Two On in Ninth
| 6/27/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Le Sueur | 2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
14 |
4 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
10 |
3 |
_JPG.jpg)
Belle
Plaine, Minn. - The Tigers had runners at 2nd and 3rd with
2 outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Braves' closer Adam Sorenson
struck out Dave Kreft to end the ballgame as Le Sueur took away
the 8-6 road win. Pat Schultz led the way offensively for Belle Plaine, going 2-for-5 with a double and a triple, and 2 RBI. Shane Hofmann went 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, while Nate Hartmann went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Kreft also picked up a pair of hits for the Tigers.
Belle Plaine will host Plato Thursday night at 7:30 pm, before taking a week off to begin the stretch run to the playoffs.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-13, 4-8) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| S. Hofmann, cf-p | 4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.306 |
| Lawson, ss | 5 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.226 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.342 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
.391 |
| Lyons, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| R. Witt, 1b-rf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.233 |
| Kreft, p-1b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.146 |
| Feldt, rf-lf | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.175 |
| Jass, 2b | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.211 |
| Schuneman, lf-cf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.156 |
| TOTALS | 37 |
6 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
.270 |
| 2B –S. Hofmann, P. Schultz. 3B – P. Schultz. HR – none. | ||||||
| SAC – none. HBP – Kreft. SB – none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (L, 1-4) | 4.1 |
10 |
6/6 |
0/4 |
75 |
6.11 |
| S. Hofmann | 4.2 |
4 |
2/2 |
3/7 |
66 |
2.89 |
Tigers Find Way to Drop 5th in a Row
Many
thanks to Ryan and Paul Dressen for
writing last week’s article. Quite frankly, it’s scary how
succinct and well-written it was. I think that’ll be the end of
the Guest Columnist feature.It would probably take a Jules Verne-like effort to pretty-up this week’s pig – the Tigers lost three more and have seen their losing streak extend to five, including eight of the last ten. All of the losses were of the Carver Central variety, dropping Belle Plaine to 4-7 in the CCL-Red, and 7-12 overall. To those of you keeping score at home: that’s not good.
Shakopee walked past the Tigre Train 16-9 last Tuesday, in what Pat Schultz called, the longest game I’ve ever caught. On Wednesday, things got worse as the Carver Black Sox spanked the Tigers 7-1 on our own home turf. To finish off the trifecta, the Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the ninth at division-leading Waconia on Sunday, only to watch the Lakers rally for two runs and a 4-3 win.
Last night, the Tigers hosted Le Sueur, in a chance to shake the skid. Tomorrow night, the homestand continues as Plato visits at 7:30 pm for a non-league game. This will be the Tigers final game for a week as they break for the 4 th of July, so as Mean Jean Okerlund used to say, Don’t you dare miss it!
One note: the suspended game at Winthrop on June 6th will be made up on Sunday, July 9th, 6:00 pm at Winthrop. The Tigers were trailing 4-2 with one out in the seventh, when a foul ball broke the umpire’s collarbone. Play will be continued where it left off. Meanwhile, the collarbone continues to ache.
And finally, a correction: two weeks ago in this space, it said that Union Hill’s (and former Tiger) Jeff Bruder went 0-for-the-tournament. It has since been brought to our attention that he was at least 1-for-the-tournament (he had a home run), according to a source very close to the right-handed slugger. We would also like to take this moment to mention that Bruder did not start on the mound all weekend, due to the fact he could only throw 3 out of 10 strikes during pre-game warmups.
| 6/20/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
12 |
2 |
| Shakopee | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
X |
16 |
14 |
4 |
Belle Plaine led 8-6 after 5 ½, and felt pretty good about getting out of the land of Powder Blue with a victory. Then, the bottom of the sixth happened. Parents – prepare to shield your children.
The Tigers threw 193 pitches on the night, with SEVENTY-ONE(!) of those coming in the merciless sixth inning, as Shakopee put up the dreaded snow-man (eight runs). The Indians did their sixth inning damage on only two hits – both singles – but drew a coma-inducing eight walks. For the game, the Indians coerced 16 bases on balls. BALL, BALL, BALL. If you remember the old Brad Radke commercials, there was a literal conga line of Shakopee baserunners going around the bases. It was that stinking ugly.
Mike Schultz started and went five, and was relieved by Ben Jass, Dave Kreft, and Jonny Schulz, all of whom pitched in the dreaded sixth. Jass was saddled with the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year.
Offensively, the T-Train wasted 12 hits, led by Nate Hartmann's heroic 4-for-5 effort. Peter Schuneman also chipped in with two safeties from the nine-hole.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-10, 4-5) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Volek, cf | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.163 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.364 |
| Lawson, ss | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.227 |
| Feldt, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.212 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.323 |
| Kruschke, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Hartmann, 3b-1b | 5 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
.411 |
| S. Hofmann, dh-rf | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.290 |
| Mi. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| R. Witt, rf-1b | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.235 |
| R. Dressen, ph-3b | 1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.167 |
| Kreft, 1b-p | 2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
.108 |
| Lyons, 2b | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| J. Schulz, p | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.267 |
| Jass, 2b-p-2b | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.226 |
| Connolly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.111 |
| Schuneman, lf | 4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.194 |
| Schuster, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| TOTALS | 41 |
9 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
.293 |
| 2B – Hartmann. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| SAC – Volek. HBP – S. Hofmann, Kreft. SB – Kreft. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Mi. Schultz | 5 |
7 |
6/5 |
6/0 |
98 |
2.73 |
| Jass (L, 1-1) | 0 |
3 |
5/5 |
2/0 |
21 |
11.00 |
| Kreft | 0.1 |
0 |
3/3 |
4/0 |
39 |
4.94 |
| J. Schulz | 2.2 |
4 |
2/2 |
3/2 |
35 |
4.05 |
| 6/21/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Carver | 2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
16 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
Like Jeff Witt once said to Waconia, You’ve got a good core. The Black Sox are improving – as evidenced by a 10-5 win over Jordan earlier this year – but not even the Tigers could have predicted a 7-1 drubbing on their home field. Worse yet, this completed the Carver sweep for the first time in recent memory. Belle Plaine lost 5-4 at Caver on May 21 st, on a bunt in the ninth.
Shane Hofmann started and took the loss for Judge Chatfield, scattering 16 hits over 7.2 innings. The bullpen was thin on this evening, so Hofmann was hung out to dry a little longer than one might normally be.
Not that it mattered with Carver’s Joe Camel I mean Campbell on the hill. The crafty veteran lefty went the distance, and his only run was unearned. Several times the locals loaded the bases, but each time Campbell dug deep into his bag of tricks to quell the Tiger uprisings.
Offensively, Pat Schultz led the way with a 3-for-5 effort, while Ryan Witt and Matt Schultz each tallied two knocks.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-11, 4-6) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Schuster, lf | 5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.273 |
| Lawson, ss-p | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
.231 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
.343 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.377 |
| S. Hofmann, p | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.268 |
| P. Dressen, ss | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.400 |
| R. Witt, 1b | 3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
.270 |
| Ma. Schultz, dh | 4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.231 |
| Lyons, 2b | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| Volek, cf | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.152 |
| J. Schulz, ph | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.267 |
| Schuneman, rf | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.184 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| TOTALS | 36 |
1 |
9 |
1 |
4 |
.250 |
| 2B – R. Witt. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| HBP – none. SB –Matt Schultz. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| S. Hofmann (L, 2-3) | 7.2 |
16 |
7/5 |
2/4 |
132 |
2.79 |
| Lawson | 1.1 |
0 |
0/0 |
1/0 |
26 |
0.00 |
| 6/25/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
| Waconia | 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
12 |
5 |
Belle Plaine’s first two batters of the game drew walks and scored off Travis Van Doren, but a pair of strikeouts with men in scoring position thwarted what could have been a larger rally. This sequence loomed large as the game wore on, and these two foes were tied at two after eight.
In the ninth, Shane Hofmann delivered an RBI single to score Dave Feldt, who had drawn a leadoff walk. Would it hold up?
Starter Mike Schultz was still around to find out. In short, a menagerie of events unfolded – none kind to the Tigers – and Waconia had stolen the game back, winning 4-3 on a one-out single by Josh Brandenberg. In the losing cause, Schultz fanned an impressive eight batters.
Ryan Witt finally shed the Sombrero, which belongs to the last person to strike out three games in a row. His streak is believed to be the second-longest in Tiger history, since Pat Moriarty carried it for a lengthy run a few years ago. Jonny Schulz is the new man in black.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (7-12, 4-7) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| S. Hofmann, cf | 4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
.289 |
| A. Hoffman, ss | 4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.125 |
| P. Schultz, c | 4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.338 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
.385 |
| Kruschke, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| R. Witt, 1b | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.256 |
| J. Schulz, dh | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.235 |
| Mi. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Jass, 2b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| Feldt, rf | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.194 |
| Schuneman, lf | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.171 |
| TOTALS | 32 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
.188 |
| 2B – none. 3B – none. HR – none. HBP – none. SB –P. Schultz. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Mi. Schultz (L, 2-2) | 8.1 |
12 |
4/3 |
3/8 |
133 |
2.83 |
No One on Carver Taking Bribes
| 6/21/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Carver | 2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
16 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
BELLE
PLAINE, Minn. - The Tigers took one on the chin as CLL's last
place team Carver smacked a 7-1 loss on the Chatfield Nine. Shane
Hofmann took the loss as the Tigers were swept by the Black Sox
on the season. Hofmann gave up seven runs on 16 hits in his 7.2
innings pitched. Bradley Lawson hurled the final 1.1 innings.
Pat Schultz led the Tigers offensively as he was 3-for-5. Rookies
Ryan Witt and Matt Schultz collected two hits each as well. Carver
now has three CLL wins, two against the Tigers, and are only one
game back of surpassing Team TigerTown, placing them in the cellar
of the league.Tigers Turn 8-6 Lead into Debacle
| 6/20/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
12 |
2 |
| Shakopee | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
X |
16 |
14 |
4 |
By Ryan and Paul Dressen
If there is a noticeable increase in the overall quality of writing in this week’s article, it is due to the fact that the Sid Hartmann of the Belle Plaine Herald, Brett Kruschke, is away at a family reunion in South Dakota. But not to worry, Brett will be back next week.
Your Belle Plaine Town Tigers dropped two out of three this week but did get a big win against CCL powerhouse Brownton. Over the weekend, the Tigers played in the Miller Lite Invitational hosted by Green Isle and Arlington but due to a lack of run support, they made an early exit and only played two games.
The Tiger bats were hot as they clawed out to a large lead early against a solid squadron from Brownton. They managed to hold on to the lead and pick up an important victory against the Bruins that brought the Tigers back to an even 4-4 in the Carver Central League.
It is too bad, however, that the Tigers used all of their hits in the Brownton game as they went a dismal 4-46 (.080) in the Miller Lite Invitational and didn’t even scrape out a single run.
Last night the Tigers traveled to Shakopee to battle the Indians. Details on this game will be in next week’s Herald or can be found on the web at www.bptigertown.com.
Tonight the Tigers will play host to Carver who they lost to on a suicide squeeze last time they faced off. First pitch will be at 7:30 up at Tiger Park.
Sunday Belle Plaine is at Waconia at 2:00 p.m. and while next Tuesday the Tigers will also host Le Sueur for another CCL affair. And again, first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. as it will be Locher Bros. / Miller Lite Nite at Tiger Park.
Belle Plaine 11, Brownton 7
Crafty veteran Dave Kreft got the nod on the hill for the Tigers and pitched a shade under seven innings, giving up two earned runs and fanning three on his way to the win. Kreft got plenty of run support, which has been a rarity for Kreft thus far this season. The Tigers were swinging hot bats and notched eight runs through the first three innings. Despite what you may have heard, Brett Kruschke and his so-called Rally Gear had nothing to do with these runs, although he did look rather ridiculous coming out and congratulating his teammates in brand new, bright red catcher’s gear that he will need a couple more years to grow into.
The Tiger’s had a season high 17 hits. Pat Schultz and Tim Schuster each had three while Ben Jass added two with a bat crafted by his 6 th hour shop class. Jass also pitched two innings in relief and withstood the Brownton surge in the ninth which gave Team Tiger a minor scare.
Watkins 4, Belle Plaine 0 (7 Innings)
The Tigers traveled to Arlington for their first round bout in the Miller Lite Invitational Saturday morning after rain pushed the game back from Friday night. Of the twenty-two man roster, there were eleven Tigers present to battle Watkins.
Pat Schultz was the only offense for the Tigers poking the lone hit for them and getting a walk. Pat even got to second base once. No other tigers reached as Watkins hurler Paul Geislinger, who is one of the five Geislinger brothers on the Watkins team, pitched a complete game one-hitter and fanned seven Belle Plaine batters.
Pitcher Jonny Schulz had a stellar performance on the mound for the Tigers but two errors and no Tiger runs led to him getting the loss in this one.
Fairfax 1, Belle Plaine 0 (7 Innings)
Dave Feldt and his trademark five o-clock shadow made a rare start in the Tigers second game Saturday. With an inexperienced defense behind him, Feldt pitched a gem. He did his job and the untried defense also did theirs, however, once again, the Tiger bats did not. The Tigers had only three hits in the game, two of which were off the bat of Nate Hartmann, and failed to put any numbers in the runs column for the second game in a row.
The game was knotted at 0-0 through the top of the seventh until Fairfax strung together a couple of hits to get the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh.
St. Cloud Orthopedic went on to win the 16-team Miller Lite Invitational.
_JPG.jpg)
| 5/5/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Brownton | 0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
X |
11 |
17 |
1 |
Belle Plaine, Minn. - Team TigerTown downed Carver Central Red foe Brownton 11-7 Tuesday night at Tiger Park. Dave Kreft (pictured) picked up his first win of the year. The Tigers gave Kreft an early advantage as they score five in the second and three in the third to get up early. They also racked up a season high 17 hits in the game. Pat Schultz was 3-for-4 with a double while Nate Hartmann was 2-for-2 with a walk.
The Tigers next action will be at the Miller Lite Invitational hosted by Arlington/Green Isle. They will start out the invite taking on Waktins Friday night at 9:00 p.m. in Arlington.
For more info on the Miller Lite Invite click here.
Tigers Drop Elko, Lose to Champs
The Union Hill Bulldogs won the 8 th annual Tigertown Classic, defeating Blue Earth 5-3 in Sunday’s championship game. Please see the accompanying bracket for results, or visit www.bptigertown.com, where it is also posted.
The Tigers beat Elko – the eventual consolation champs – 1-0 on Friday night, behind a 3-hit shutout from Mike Schultz. On Saturday, El Tigerino ran into the buzzsaw that was Union Hill, dropping a 5-1 decision and bowing out of the tournament.
The weather was cool with rain often posing as a threat, but the show went on and by and large, most felt lucky to only suffer one short rain delay on the weekend. The temperature may have hurt beer sales, but pork burger and cheeseburger sales appeared robust. (I don’t think healthy is the exact word I’m looking for here.) Nathan Muehlenhardt’s pork burger record of ten is believed to have survived the weekend, but if you know otherwise, please leave it on the Tiger message board.
Last Tuesday, June 4, the Constructionville Growlers went west-ward to Winthrop, where play was suspended with the Tigers trailing 4-2, with one out in the 7 th. A foul ball ended up breaking the umpire’s collarbone, and he was unable to continue. Details are currently being worked out as to whether this game will be concluded, or wind up a loss for the hometown nine.
Last night the Tigers hosted Brownton, who is off to a smoldering 7-2 start in league play, 10-4 overall. Belle Plaine finds themselves 3-4 in the CCL, with a 6-7 mark overall, and has lost six of nine. Look for details in next week’s Herald, or, check the web.
This weekend the Tigers get to be tournament guests instead of hosts, as they partake in Arlington and Green Isle’s 16-team Miller Lite Invitational. Go to Green Isle’s website (www.greenisleirish.net) for the bracket, or see the bracket accompanying this story. Belle Plaine opens Friday night at 9:00 pm against Watkins, in Arlington.
Next Tuesday, June 20, Belle Plaine will visit the Shakopee Indians, for a 7:30 pm affair.
Tigers 2 @ Winthrop 4 (Tuesday, June 4 – suspended, 7 th inning)
Belle Plaine trailed 4-2 with one out in the seventh inning, when Jesse Erdahl’s foul tip went straight back and clipped the home plate umpire in the collarbone, breaking it. Unable to continue, representatives from each team met shortly to determine whether a replacement from the stands should finish out the game, but decided against it. The game was supsended until further notice.
Here I am notifying you further, and it is still suspended. Details of concluding the game may be tricky, and for that reason this game could end up in the ‘L’ column for the Tigers, without another pitch being thrown. It does appear the matter should be decided within the next week, if not sooner.
Dave Kreft took the mound for the Tigers, and has shockingly captained the effort to see this game finished. Maybe the Tigers can pull out the win and take Krefty off the hook! Ha ha, of course, it’s not about that! It’s the managerial win he really wants. But both would be nice.
Pat Schultz was 2-for-3 with a triple, and could potentially hit for the cycle if the game continues. How about these in-game updates!
Brett Kruschke had not yet entered the game, but did temporarily choke on a sunflower seed during the 3 rd inning.
Elko 0 vs. Tigers 1, Tigertown Classic (Friday, June 9 – 7 innings)
The Elko Express entered with a 13-3 record, but was stymied by the I think I can, I think I can right arm of Mike Schultz, who spun a 3-hit, 7-inning shutout. Welcome to the Tigertown Classic!! (Just kidding.)
Schultz never faced more than four batters in an inning and took a no-hitter into the 5 th, when the Tigers finally broke the scoreless tie in the home-half of the inning. Ryan Witt started things with a one-out single, and was replaced by pinch-runner Brett Kruschke, who tried scoring on a Brad Lawson double to the wall but was thrown out at home (by about a mile). Peter Schuneman singled to send Lawson to third, and #9-stick Paulie Dressen dropped a hit over first base for what would be the game-winning RBI.
Elko got the tying run to 2 nd in the 7 th with two outs, but Schultz recorded his sixth and final strikeout to seal the deal. Pitching – Mikey likes it!
Union Hill 5 vs. Tigers 1, Tigertown Classic (Saturday, June 10 – 7 innings)
The Tigertown Express fell short to the eventual champion Bulldogs, dropping a 5-1 decision. Sean O’Neill beat Shane Hofmann, in a matchup of pitching aces.
Belle Plaine trailed 4-0 when Nate Hartmann hit the Tigers first home run of the year, causing the Tigers to think they immediately won the game. (That’s what happens when you hit a home run… right?) Just to answer the question you shouldn’t be afraid to ask: it was over the fence, not an inside-the-parker.
Former Tiger Jeff Bruder was heckled relentlessly by the voice of Mark Huber, and proceeded to go 0-for the weekend.
TerminatedBelle Plaine, Minn. - The Belle Plaine Tigers were eliminated from the 8th Annual TigerTown Classic after falling 5-1 to Union Hill Saturday afternoon. Shane Hofmann (2-2) took the loss as he allowed five runs in his seven innings of work. Nate Hartmann (pictured) was the entire Tiger offense as he belted his first career home run and first for the Tigers on the season.
Belle Plaine, Minn. - Mike Schultz pitched his second complete game and picked up his second straight shutout as the Tigers beat Elko 1-0. Paul Dressen's RBI in the fifth inning was the difference in the game. The Tigers will take on Union Hill, who defeated Freeport 2-1, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the TigerTown Classic.
Winthrop, Minn. - The game versus Winthrop was suspended in the 7th inning after the umpire was struck in the collarbone and was unable to continue. It was decided to suspend the game and finish it on a later date. The Tigers were trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the 7th with one out and nobody on. Dave Kreft pitched the whole game for Tigers while Jesse Erdahl was on the mound for the Eagles.
Tiger
Open Photos
Winthrop Photos
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Belle
Plaine, Minn. - It has been a busy last week for the Tigers, and
things will only get busier this weekend as they host the 8 th annual
Tigertown Classic. This year’s field is arguably the greatest
of all-time, and will feature Freeport (formerly Melrose), Union Hill,
Elko, Le Sueur, Blue Earth, Green Isle, Marshall, and host Belle Plaine.
The tournament kicks off at 6:30 pm Friday – which is $5
All-You-Can-Eat Pork Burger Night – with a battle between
Freeport and Union Hill, followed up by the hometown Tigers clashing
with Elko and their spirited fan base, at approximately 8:30 pm.
Action resumes early on Saturday, with a 10:30 am start between Le Sueur and Blue Earth being the first of five games on the day. Green Isle and Marshall will square off at 12:45 pm, and after that the match-ups will depend on how the games are unfolding. Three games will take place Sunday, culminating with the championship game at 3:30 pm. For the full tournament bracket, please see the accompanying bracket to this article. Also, check www.bptigertown.com for bracket pairings, tournament updates, and all the latest.
On Tuesday, June 13, the Tigers will return to league action with a 7:30 pm home contest against the Brownton Bruins.
Since last week’s Herald, Tigertown’s Finest has gone 1-3, including a pair of one-run losses. In fact, four of Belle Plaine’s last five losses are by one run. Don’t cry for me, Argentina – I’m just saying. Overall, the Tigers have lost five of their last seven, and currently sit at 5-6 overall, 3-4 in the Carver Central.
Friday was the 3rd annual Tiger Open golf fund-raiser at Valley View, and a grand time was had by all. Participation was higher than it’s ever been – for both golfers and sponsors – and the Tigers (both Gray and town team) would truly like to extend their thanks and appreciation. Also, congrats to our winners, who carded an impressive 14-under: Dave Hartmann, Mike Hartmann, Rick Stevens, and Doug Olsen. Nick Kornder snapped some photos of the golf tournament – check them out online.
We’d like to take a moment to recognize this year’s 42 sponsors: Borough Bowl, Countryside Construction, Kinetico-Haferman Water Conditioning, CMD Landscaping, Car-X, Schuster Landscaping, Ken Worm Construction, Edina Realty (Belle Plaine office), Edina Realty (Billy Pauling), Northwestern Health Sciences University, Vector Engineering, Studio West Designs, Community Mortgage Lenders, Inc., State Farm Insurance, Progressive Printing, Valley View Golf Club, Rainbow Discovery Center, Innovative Graphics, Lupient Motors, Tidy Disposal, Inc., Lichliter Brothers Plumbing, Siemon Implement, State Bank of Belle Plaine, Friendly Chevrolet, Behnke Auto Center, Andy’s Bar & Grill, Hartman Cabinets, DEB’s Embroidery, Brad’s Barber Shop, A-1 Stripes, Inc., Daly & Daly, Sparetime Tavern, Ruck’s Meats, Neisen’s Red Door, SBG, Inc., Donovan Family (in memory of Marty Donovan, former Tiger), Chard Tiling, Diversified Financial Resources, Westerman Lumber, Skluzacek Oil, Emma Krumbee’s, and Annie’s Cafe & Catering. Thanks again!
| 5/30/06 | 1 |
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| Waconia | ||||||||||||
| Belle Plaine |
The Tigers reverted to early-season form as they committed seven errors, and pretty much got their hind-ends handed to them by CCL-Red foe Waconia. Le Tigre actually out-hit the Lakers, 8 to 7, but the seven errors led to four unearned runs as the Lakers scored in every inning except the 2nd, 8th, and 9th.
Skipper Dave Kreft took the loss as he went 5.1 innings, giving up six runs (two earned) before yielding to reliever Jonny Schulz. Schulz went 2.2 innings and extended his scoreless string to 8.2 this year. Ryan Witt finished up with a scoreless ninth.
Shane Hofmann stayed hot at the plate as he went 2-for-3 with a RBI, while Witt laced a pair of singles in two at-bats, and garnered the other Tiger RBI.
In honor of Little League Night at Tiger Park, Eric Lyons and Tim Schuster both saw action.
| 6/1/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
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| Winthrop | ||||||||||||
| Belle Plaine |
In a nutshell, the Tigers have fared very well against the Eagles in regular season play in recent history, and not-so-hot in the playoffs. While it doesn’t necessarily mean anything, it always makes for an interesting backdrop when these two clubs get together.
Mike Schultz led the Tigers to their fifth win of the season, in a stellar pitching performance. The right-hander went the distance, giving up only five hits and setting down eight Eagles via strikeout. Brother and battery mate Pat Schultz was at-bat in the eighth inning when Belle Plaine broke the scoreless tie. Schultz hit into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded, as the throw home sailed wide and allowed Ryan Dressen to score.
Ben Melius was the hard-luck loser, as he allowed only two hits on the night. He even carried a no-hitter until Dave Kreft muscled a single with one out in the sixth. The only other hit was from Nate Hartmann in the seventh.
The Tigers totaled just one error on the night, by far their best defensive performance of the year. Tiger webmaster Nick Kornder snapped 83 game photos of this 1-0 battle – click here.
| 6/3/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | ||||||||||||
| Henderson |
Baseball is back in Henderson for the first time in a long time, and our lads were excited to be a part of its return, especially to get a look-see at the new ballpark. The site seems to have a lot of potential, with a beautiful tree-line stemming out from right field, and hillside viewing looming as an option, reminiscent (albeit, on a smaller scale) of Jordan.
Jonny Schulz climbed Mount Henderson to toe the rubber for the Chatfield Nine. Schulz led 4-1 until a nightmarish 4th inning, in which 12 men came to the plate, with seven scoring. Belle Plaine committed all three of its errors in this dark frame, not a good mix when combined with Henderson’s six hits. By the time Dave Feldt worked out of the inning, it was 8-4 in favor of the Fighting Berberichs.
The Plainesmen fought back hard, grabbing two in the fifth and three in the eighth to cut it to 10-9, with men at 2nd and 3rd with two outs. However, a strikeout ended the threat.
In the ninth, Belle Plaine got the tying run to second with one out, but again the runner died on the vine as Henderson took The Battle of the Tigers . Both teams slugged 14 hits on the afternoon, with Pat Schultz leading the way for the Red Caps with a 3-for-4 effort.
| 6/4/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
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7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | ||||||||||||
| Victoria |
The Tigers took a 2-1 lead into the 9th, only to watch Victoria string together three hits – including a two-run, game-winning double from Clark Poppitz – to win 3-2. Shane Hofmann went the distance for Belle Plaine, scattering ten hits and taking the tough loss. There was one out when Poppitz delivered his game-clinching blow.
Pat Schultz was literally the Tiger offense, collecting three of the team’s five hits, including an RBI-triple in the sixth. Nick Volek drove in the other Tiger run on an infield grounder in the 7th, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead that would hold until the perilous ninth.
The Tigers played near-flawless defense, committing only one gaffe on the night. Shortstop Brad Lawson was particularly stellar in the field, according to eye-witness reports.
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Mike Schutlz Pitches 1-0 Shutout Over Winthrop
| 6/1/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Winthrop | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
X |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Belle Plaine, Minn. - Team TigerTown picked up their fifth win of the season after a stellar pitching performance from Mike Schultz (1-1) who pitched nine shutout innings of ball in a 1-0 win over Winthrop. Schultz struck out eight in the game. Brother and battery mate Pat Schultz was at bat in the bottom of the eighth inning with bases loaded when he hit into a fielder’s choice that lead to the Tiger’s loan run following a Winthrop error. One could not look anywhere at Tiger Park without seeing a Schultz somewhere, at last count I saw seven Schultz scattered throughout the ball park.
The Tigers won the game even though they only had two hits, the first one coming in the bottom of the sixth inning. Walks and errors led to Winthrop’s demise in the game. Brett Kruschke did pinch run in the game, even though there are no photos of it.
The Tigers next game will be Saturday in Henderson and hopefully all will be recovered from the Tiger Open Golf Tournament that will be held on Friday at Valley View Golf Course. Click for Game Photos
Winthrop Takes Time Off of Fishing to Battle Team TigerTown in a CCL Red Showdown for Third Place in Standings
Belle Plaine, Minn. - Belle Plaine will host the Winthrop Eagles tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Park. It is Little Leaguer Night at Tiger Park, any tike wearing his little league jersey will get him/herself a free hot dog.
The Tigers have dominated Winthrop in the regular season the past two years, and have struggled in the CCL Playoffs. The Tigers are 6-2 the last eight meetings with the Eagles, with the two losses coming in the CCL Playoffs the last two years, where the Tigers fell 5-4 last year and 15-4 two years ago. In the six wins the Tigers have they have outscored the Eagles 63-15 including two games where on player had multiple homers. Dan Huber had a pair of jacks in a 4-1 win last season and Dan Weldon had two in an 8-3 win two years ago.
The Tigers are 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the CLL. As of May 22 nd the Eagles are 2-2 in CLL play.
Lakers Sink Team TigerTown 7-2 in CCL Play
| 5/30/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Waconia | 1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
7 |
Belle Plaine, Minn. - The Tigers reverted to early season form as they committed seven errors in a 7-2 loss to Caver Central Red foe Waconia. The Tigers out hit the Lakers 8-7, but the seven errors led to four unearned runs as the Lakers score runs in every inning but the second, eighth and ninth. Skipper Dave Kreft took the loss as he went 5 1/3 innings, giving up six runs (two earned) before being relieved by Jonny Schulz. Schulz went 2 2/3 innings before allowing Ryan Witt to finish off the game in the ninth.
Shane Hoffman stayed hot at the plate as he went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Ryan Witt was 2-for-2 with a ribby. Matt Schultz collected his first career town team hit in tonight’s game.
The Tigers are home again on Thursday night when they host Winthrop on Little Leaguer Night at Tiger Park. All Little Leaguers in uniform get a free hot dog. Keep an eye out for Brett Kruschke in his old Borough Bowl jersey trying to score a free meal.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (4-4, 2-3) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Schuneman, cf | 4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.158 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.400 |
| Kreft, p | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.143 |
| R. Witt, 1b-p | 2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.158 |
| P. Schultz, c | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.267 |
| P. Dressen, ss | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.500 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.407 |
| Lyons, 3b | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.167 |
| S. Hofmann, rf | 3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.667 |
| Connolly, rf | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.167 |
| J. Schulz, 2b-p | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.318 |
| Mi. Schultz, 1b | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Feldt, lf | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.227 |
| Schuster, lf | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.154 |
| Ma. Schultz, dh-c | 4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.143 |
| Lawson, ss | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| Jass, 1b | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.211 |
| R. Dressen, ph-2b | 1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.167 |
| TOTALS | 36 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
.222 |
| 2B – none. 3B – none. HR – none. HBP – R. Dressen. SB – none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (L, 0-3) | 5.1 |
4 |
4/2 |
5/3 |
105 |
4.32 |
| J. Schulz | 2.2 |
2 |
2/0 |
2/1 |
48 |
0.00 |
| R. Witt | 1 |
1 |
0/0 |
0/2 |
16 |
5.07 |
Lakers Drift into Tiger Park
The Tigers play their first of four games in the next week when they face the Waconia Lakers tonight at Tiger Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Lakers come into the game with a 6-2 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the Carver Central. The Tigers come in with a 4-3 record and a 2-2 Carver Central posting.
Last season the Tigers lost 3-0 to the Lakers, with Shane Hoffman taking the loss in the second game of the season. A year prior the Tigers beat the Lakers twice before being knocked out of the playoffs by the Lakers in an 8-6 loss.
The Tigers are home again on Thursday night when they host Winthrop on Little Leaguer Night at Tiger Park. All Little Leaguers in uniform get a free hot dog. Keep an eye out for Brett Kruschke in his old Borough Bowl jersey trying to score a free meal.
TIGERS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The
Tigers lost a one-run battle to Hamburg last Tuesday (May 23), 4-3, before
coming back and gaining a big win on Friday, 7-4 over the Class ‘B’
Prior Lake Jays. Both games were at the friendly confines of Tiger Park.
Last night, Belle Plaine hosted upstart Waconia; look online (www.bptigertown.com)
for all the exciting details.
Team Tigertown’s record entering the Waconia game was 2-2 in the Carver Central League, 4-3 overall. This week is a busy one for the local nine, as Thursday night they host Winthrop at 7:30 pm, on Little League Night. All uniformed Little Leaguers will receive a free hot dog! And, as always, 12-and-under are admitted free to all town team games.
Friday is the Tiger Open golf tournament at Valley View, starting at 1:00 pm. It’s not too late if you still want to sign up! Just contact yours truly at 612-327-2715, or Shane Hofmann at 952-484-2319.
On Saturday, the locals will trek to Henderson to take on the newly-formed Tigers, out of the newly-formed Diamond River Valley League. Henderson is off to a quick start already; game time is set for 4:00 pm. On Sunday, Belle Plaine will trek to Victoria for a make-up game from May 14; game time will be 6:00 pm. Finally, on Tuesday night, the Tigers head to Winthrop for a 7:30 pm thriller.
The following weekend is the 8th annual Tigertown Classic, but we’ll save all those details for next week. (If you can’t wait, the bracket is currently online.) We’ll see you on the golf course! And, at the ballpark. Story by - Brett Kruschke
| 5/23/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Hamburg | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
3 |
The Tigers lost their second game in a row by one run, as they were tripped by the Hawks, 4-3 at Tiger Park. Hamburg improved to 4-1 with the victory.
Mike Schultz went five innings for the Tigers, giving up four runs on six hits. What kept the Tigers in the game was stellar relief work from Jonny Schulz and Ryan Witt, who combined to go four scoreless – and hitless – innings. For Schulz, he has now gone six innings this year, giving up no runs and only one hit. Go, Jonny, go.
After falling behind 4-2 in the top of the sixth, the Chatfield Choo-Choo rallied for a run in the bottom of the sixth, making it a one-run game. Belle Plaine’s best chance to tie the game came in the 7th, when with two outs Nick Volek singled to left, only to have Ben Jass thrown out at the plate as he was waved in from second.
Volek, the only Tiger with multiple hits, finished 2-for-4. Rookies Bradley Lawson and Eric Lyons picked up their first career town team hits – look for this nugget to someday appear in the 30 Years Ago This Week column.
The Tigers struck out 13 times, yet no-one took home The Sombrero, much to Ryan Witt’s chagrin. The home team’s three errors brought their season total to 26.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (3-3, 1-2) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
Volek, cf |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.227 |
Kreft, 1b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.133 |
P. Schultz, rf |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.261 |
Hartmann, c |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.400 |
J. Schulz, dh-p |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.368 |
Mi. Schultz, p |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
R. Witt, p |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.059 |
Feldt, lf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.294 |
Ma. Schultz, pr |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
Jass, 2b |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.214 |
Lawson, ss |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
Lyons, 3b |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.250 |
TOTALS |
33 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
.242 |
| 2B – P. Schultz. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| HBP – none. SB – none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
Mi. Schultz (L, 0-1) |
5 |
6 |
4/4 |
2/2 |
71 |
3.75 |
J. Schulz |
3 |
0 |
0/0 |
2/3 |
45 |
0.00 |
R. Witt |
1 |
0 |
0/0 |
1/0 |
24 |
6.75 |
| 5/26/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Prior Lake | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
X |
7 |
12 |
3 |
It was the Shane Hofmann Show at Tiger Park, as the 11 year vet did it on the mound and more surprisingly, at the dish. Hofmann went seven innings and only allowed four hits and two runs (one earned). After giving up hits to the first two batters of the game, he did not give up another hit until the seventh inning. Ace dropped his ERA to 0.90 (2 ER in 20 IP) in the process.
At the plate, all Hofmann did was go 4-for-5 with four RBI, a Michael Cuddyer-like resurgence. His four hits set the pace for a season-high 12 for the Tigers. Just as importantly, the Tigers also drew seven walks on the night.
It should be pointed out that the Tigers were benefactors of a controversial call in the seventh inning. With one out and the bases loaded, a ground ball was sent to short, and Bradley Lawson booted the ball as he was shielded by the runner heading to third. The Tigers didn’t complain, but the man in blue ruled that not only was the runner out, but that it was a double play! The Tigers enjoyed their good fortune and quickly scurried off the field.
Belle Plaine held a 7-2 lead into the ninth, but reliever Ben Jass was touched for a couple runs and needed help from Ryan Witt, who recorded his first save of the year.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (4-3, 2-2) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
Schuneman, cf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
.133 |
Kreft, 1b |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.167 |
Ma. Schultz, ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
P. Schultz, c |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.296 |
P. Dressen, ph |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1.000 |
Hartmann, 3b |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
.417 |
Kruschke, pr |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
Feldt, rf |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.250 |
Lyons, 2b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
S. Hofmann, p-rf |
5 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
.667 |
Schuster, dh |
4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.167 |
Lawson, ss |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
Jass, 2b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.235 |
N. Selly, ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.250 |
R. Witt, p |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.059 |
Volek, lf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.200 |
TOTALS |
35 |
7 |
12 |
5 |
7 |
.343 |
2B – S. Hofmann. 3B –
none. HR – none. |
||||||
HBP – none. SB – Kruschke,
Jass. |
||||||
Pitcher |
IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
S. Hofmann (W, 2-0) |
7 |
4 |
2/1 |
4/4 |
112 |
0.90 |
Jass |
1.2 |
1 |
2/1 |
5/1 |
62 |
5.40 |
R. Witt (Sv, 1) |
0.1 |
0 |
0/0 |
0/1 |
4 |
6.23 |
Tigers Get Revenge on Prior Lake
Belle Plaine, Minn. - Shane Hofmann, still upset from last years loss to Prior Lake on Mother's Day, took it upon himself to set things right. Hofmann (2-0) not only went seven innings on the mound, he was 4-for-4 at the plate with 4 RBI as the Tigers defeated Prior Lake 7-4. Ben Jass went 2 2/3 innings before Ryan Witt came in to get the save.
Tigers next action is next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. when Waconia visits Tiger Park.
Tigers Looks For Revenge Against Prior Lake
Belle
Plaine, Minn. - Last year Prior Lake ruined Mother's Day for many
of Team TigerTown's birth-givers. After the Tigers rallied for three runs
in the top of the ninth inning of last year's game to take at 6-4 lead,
Prior Lake did the same in the bottom of the ninth to get the 7-6 win.
After the Tigers got their three runs in the ninth, Prior Lake hit a two
run homer, then a triple, then a single to win their season opener. Jon
Schulz took the mound in the ninth and gave up three runs on four hits,
including a homer and a triple. The homer was of the wind added version.
The Mother's Day Massacre marked the Tigers third straight loss and third
in the Carver Central League at that point last season.
Prior Lake come into Friday night's game with a 1-4 mark after picking up their first win of the season last Tuesday in a 8-5 win over the Chaska Cubs. The Tigers come into the game with a 3-3 overall mark and a 1-2 CCL record. These two teams have alternated wins with each other the last four years. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Park. Brett Kruschke is rumored to be taking the hill, but Manager Kreft may use his veto power and go with the "Ace of the Staff".
Hawks Hand Tigers Second One-run Loss
| 5/23/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Hamburg | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
3 |
Belle
Plaine, Minn. - The Tigers lost their second game in a row by one
run as Hamburg pickled Team TigerTown 4-3 at Tiger Park. Hamburg improves
to 4-1 after winning their fourth straight while the Tigers fall to 3-3.
Mike Schultz (0-1) went five innings for the Tigers giving
up four runs on six hits. Jonny Schulz went three innings
with no hits and three Ks while Ryan Witt pitched a hitless
ninth.
After falling behind 4-2 in the top of the sixth the Tigers rallied for a run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a one run game. The Tigers best chance to tie the game came in the bottom of the seventh, when with two outs Nick Volek singled to left, only to have Ben Jass thrown out at the plate trying to score from second. Volek, the only Tiger with multiple hits, finished the game 2-for-4. Bradley Lawson and Eric Lyons picked up their first career hits as Tigers in the loss. Of the 27 outs for the Tigers, 13 were way of strikeout. The Tigers three errors in tonight's game brings their season total to 26 on the season.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (3-3, 1-2) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Volek, cf | 4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.227 |
| Kreft, 1b | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.133 |
| P. Schultz, rf | 4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.261 |
| Hartmann, c | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.400 |
| J. Schulz, dh-p | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.368 |
| Mi. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| R. Witt, p | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.059 |
| Feldt, lf | 4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.294 |
| Ma. Schultz, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Jass, 2b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.214 |
| Lawson, ss | 3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| Lyons, 3b | 2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.250 |
| TOTALS | 33 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
.242 |
| 2B – P. Schultz. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| HBP – none. SB – none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Mi. Schultz (L, 0-1) | 5 |
6 |
4/4 |
2/2 |
71 |
3.75 |
| J. Schulz | 3 |
0 |
0/0 |
2/3 |
45 |
0.00 |
| R. Witt | 1 |
0 |
0/0 |
1/0 |
24 |
6.75 |
Unfamiliar Foe
Hamburg Invades TigerTown Tonight
The
Tigers will face an unfamiliar foe tonight when the Hamburg Hawks land
at Tiger Park. Records show that these two teams have not met in any year
dating back through 1999. The Hawks, a member of the Crow River Valley
League, come in with a 3-1 mark with wins over Mayer (6-5), Young America
(6-4) and Cologne (16-0, 7 innings). The Hawks lost their season opener
9-2 to New Germany before going on their three game win streak. First
pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Park. Remember, it is Kettle Corn
Tuesday at the park.
TIGERS PITCHING WELL
The
Tigers blew a golden chance to run off three straight wins, dropping a
5-4 decision in the 9th at Carver on Sunday. Nonetheless, the locals have
used good pitching to wind up at 3-2 after five games. Shane Hofmann
shut out St. Peter 2-0 on Friday night, and last Tuesday, the Tigers rode
a solid start from Mike Schultz to beat New Germany 3-2
on the final play of the game.
The defense has also improved for Tigertown, although that’s kind of like saying Dennys Reyes has shed a few pounds. Belle Plaine’s error totals in the five games so far: eight, five, five, two, and three. Not exactly the 2001 Twins, but we’re trying.
On Friday, the Prior Lake Jays will visit for a CCL-affair, first pitch 7:30 pm. It will be the first of two Locher Bros. / Miller Lite Nites out at Tiger this summer, as there will be giveaways and dollar beers during select innings. After the Memorial Day weekend, Waconia will drop by Tiger Park on Tuesday for a 7:30 pm duel. See you at the ballpark!
Another reminder – Friday, June 2 nd is the Tiger Open golf tournament fund-raiser. Visit us online for more info, and let us know if you need help putting a group together.
New Germany 2 @ Tigers 3 (Tuesday, May 16)
The Tigers snuck one out in breath-taking fashion, scoring two runs on the final play of the ninth, to shock the Dutchmen 3-2. Down to their last out and the bases loaded, Shane Hofmann sent a grounder toward first base. Runner Nate Hartmann screened the first baseman, who already had one error earlier in inning. He added another here, as Hofmann won the race to the bag (picture that), while Peter Schuneman scored from third to tie it. But on a play inspired by the movie Major League , pinch runner Brett Kruschke kept running from second base, and beat the throw home by a frog hair. There was joy in Constructionville!
Mike Schultz made his first start of the year for the Chatfield Warriors, and was sharp as he surrendered just one run in seven innings. His rival on the hill was his equal – former Tiger T.J. Aalid – who also yielded one run over seven.
The game was turned over to the bullpens, and Tiger rookie Ben Jass was on top of his game, fanning four in two innings. However, he was victimized by not one, not two, but three ninth-innings errors, which allowed New Germany to push across the go-ahead run.
Lefty Mike Schrup deserved a better fate, but also fell victim to his team’s cast-iron gloves.
Tigers 2 @ St. Peter 0 (Friday, May 19)
This game belonged to two men: pitcher Shane Hofmann, who threw a complete game shutout; and second baseman Jonny Schulz, who delivered a pair of two-out, RBI-singles, to drive in both Tiger runs.
Hofmann yielded just four hits, all singles, and whiffed 10. He lowered his ERA to 0.69 on the year, which is one earned run in 13 innings.
Schulz’s clutch hits came in the 4 th and 6 th innings, and proved to be all that Belle Plaine would need. Jonny is economical, if you can’t tell by the lack of an ‘h’ in his first name, and ‘t’ in his last.
Tigers 4 @ Carver 5 (Sunday, May 21)
The Tigertown Express started out early, plating two in the first on RBI-safeties from Nate Hartmann and Jonny Schulz, both of whom easily lead the team with .438 averages. Each went 3-for-5, with an RBI, on the day.
Carver responded with one in the first, and Belle Plaine tacked on another in the 2 nd to go up 3-1, although they left a pair of men in scoring position.
Black Sox starter Mike Brokofsky was quickly dispatched, and would exit after two for reliever Ross Tichy. It was a prudent move, as the left-hander gave up only one run the rest of the game, and wound up the winning pitcher.
Throwing the Big Red’s second complete game in a row was Dave Kreft, who struck out 10 and walked nary a soul. He was, however, touched for 11 Carver hits.
Belle Plaine tied it up at four in the 8 th, when Tim Schuster alertly scored on an infield single by Ben Jass. Jass advanced to third to represent the go-ahead run, but died on the vine, a result that would cost the Tigers.
In the bottom of the ninth, consecutive one-out singles put the Tigers on the ropes. Then nine-hitter Greg Sayuk dropped a bunt which allowed the runner from third to score the winning run, on a very close play at the plate. Kreft fielded the ball, rolled over and flipped it home, but catcher Pat Schultz’s tag was somehow too late.
Meanwhile, after 15 years of driving to Carver, I again got lost on the way home. I think I need OnStar.
Carver Scored a Run in 9th to Win
| 5/21/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
| Carver | 1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
11 |
3 |
Carver, Minn. - Carver scored a run in the bottom of the ninth with one out to pick up the 5-4 win over the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Dave Kreft went all nine for the Tigers, as he fell to 0-2 on the season with a 4.77 ERA. Kreft allowed three earned runs on 11 hits while striking out ten. Jonny Schulz (pictured) continued to swing a hot bat as he went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
The Tigers take on Hamburg Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Park.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (3-2, 1-2) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Volek, cf | 5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.167 |
| Kreft, p | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.091 |
| Ma. Schultz, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.263 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
.438 |
| J. Schulz, 2b | 5 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
.438 |
| R. Witt, 1b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.063 |
| Lawson, ss | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
| Schuster, lf | 3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
| Connolly, rf | 3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| Jass, ss-1b | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.300 |
| TOTALS | 36 |
4 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
.278 |
| 2B – J. Schulz. 3B – none. HR – none. SB – P. Schultz. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (L, 0-2) | 8.1 |
11 |
5/3 |
0/10 |
120 |
4.77 |
File Photo
| 5/19/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
| St. Peter | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
St Peter, Minn. - The Tigers
dropped their errors per game to five after duffing only two in their
2-0 win over St. Peter (Tigers tallied 18 errors in their first three
games). Shane Hofmann (self proclaimed Ace of the Staff) pitched a complete
game shutout as he picked up his first win of the season. The Tigers scored
single runs in the fourth and sixth, both on two-out RBI singles by second
baseman Jonny Schulz. Team Tigertown totaled eight hits in the game while
the Saints mustered only four. Hofmann was dishing out the Cajun Fastball-Bayou
– as he struck out ten batters in the game.
Tigers next action is this Sunday when they take on Carver with a special
noon start.
Tigers Try for Third Time for Road Opener
St. Peter, Minn. - The Tigers will look to open their road season for the third time this year after having road games at Glencoe and Victoria cancelled or postponed due to rain. St. Peter is 1-1 on the season with an opening day win over Carver 6-1 and then dropping a 7-4 decision to Chaska back on May 7th. This will mark St. Peter's first game in two weeks.
The Tigers went 0-2 versus St. Peter last season, falling 5-4 in St. Peter and then 20-5 in Belle Plaine on $1 Foul Ball Night. The Tigers last win against St. Peter was back on July 20, 2004, when the Tigers prevailed 11-4 thanks to a strong outing by Shane Hofmann with Dan Huber finishing up the game to get the save. Former Tiger Trace Selly went 4-for-4 in the game with three runs scored and two batted in.
_JPG.jpg)
File Photo
Tigers
Win One in the Ninth
(--by Brett Kruschke)
| 5/16/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| New Germany | 0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
| Belle Plaine | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
5 |
Belle Plaine , Minn. - The Tigers snuck one out in breath-taking fashion last night, scoring two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, to shock New Germany 3-2. Both runs scored on the final play of the game, which started when "DH" Shane Hofmann hit a grounder to first with the bases loaded. Nate Hartmann smartly obstructed the first baseman from seeing the ball, allowing Hofmann to beat out the play at first. Meanwhile, pinch runner Brett "Crooked Finger" Kruschke was attempting to score all the way from second base, as Peter Schuneman had already scored from third to tie it. As the throw came home, it was a close play at the plate... but Kruschke was safe! "They're gonna send Hayes... here's the throw... and he is... SAFE! SAFE!! The Indians win it! OH MY GOD, the Indians win it!!" (Sorry, got just a little caught up there.)
Ben Jass was the winning pitcher, throwing the final two frames of the game in relief of Mike Schultz. Schultz was solid in his first outing of the year, going seven innings and allowing just one run, while pitching to big brother Pat. (Aw, isn't that cute?!) Jass gave up an unearned run in the 9th as the Tigers committed three errors in the inning, likely all but sealing their fate. By the way - that gives El Tigro an ungodly 18 errors in 3 games. Yikes, LeRoy.
Starting for the Dutchmen was ex-Tiger T.J. Aalid, who continued to haunt his former mates. Aalid worked seven innings, matching Schultz by yielding just one run. Mike Schrupp was the tough-luck loser for New Germany.
Belle Plaine's next action takes place on the road, this Friday at St. Peter. 7:30 pm start time. Bring a glove - you just might get inserted late as a defensive replacement!
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (2-1, 0-1) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Schuneman, cf | 4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.091 |
| Feldt, rf | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.333 |
| Kruschke, pr | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| P. Schultz, c | 5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.300 |
| Hartmann, 3b | 4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
.429 |
| S. Hofmann, dh | 3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| M. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Jass, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| J. Schulz, ss | 3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| Schuster, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| R. Witt, 1b | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.125 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| Dressen, 2b | 4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| Volek, lf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| TOTALS | 35 |
3 |
8 |
1 |
3 |
.229 |
| 2B – P. Schultz. 3B – none. HR – none. HBP – Feldt. | ||||||
| SB – Schuneman, P. Schultz, J. Schulz. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| M. Schultz | 7 |
7 |
1/1 |
1/0 |
108 |
1.29 |
| Jass (W, 1-0) | 2 |
1 |
1/0 |
1/4 |
47 |
5.40 |
TIGER TRAIN SIDELINED
Three times this past week, the Tigers had a scheduled game postponed or cancelled, meaning this could be a tough week for selling Heralds. On Wednesday, Arlington had to cancel a non-league game due to a lack of players (college final exams, and a high school game, were the culprits). On Friday and Sunday, the Tigers were washed out in games at Glencoe and Victoria, respectively. Of the three, only the Victoria game – since it is a league contest – will be rescheduled. No date has yet been set.
With all this water will likely come some rust, and the Chatfield Nine will try to shake it off when they return to league action, Friday at St. Peter. Game time is the usual 7:30 pm slot. On Sunday, El Tigre ventures to Carver – please note the special 12:00 pm start. That’s high noon, shootout at the OK Corral type of thing.
On Tuesday, the Tigers will host Hamburg, which makes me hungry just thinking about it. Once again, 7:30 pm start and a Brad Schultz-special Kernel Korn Tuesday out at Tiger.
I’d like to take the extra column space this week to plug the Tiger Open golf fund-raiser, which will take place at Valley View Golf Club on Friday, June 2 nd. Sponsors are already stepping over each other, for this fund-raiser that will benefit both the Gray Tigers 35-and-older team, and the town team Tigers. Please see the accompanying ad, or www.bptigertown.com, for all further details. We truly appreciate your support! And there’s plenty of room for more golfers.
Any businesses interested in sponsoring a hole should contact Shane Hofmann at 952-484-2319.
This Time Postponed
May 14, 2006--by Nick Kornder
The Tigers' CCL game with Victoria has been postponed due to rain in the area. A make-up date has not been set as of this time. This marks the third game, and second in a row that has been disrupted due to poor weather. The Tigers will try to get a game in on Tuesday, May 16 against New Germany at 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Park. The Tigers are currently 1-1 on the season and 0-1 in the CCL.
Tigers' Trip to Glencoe Cancelled
May 12, 2006--by Nick Kornder
The Belle Plaine Tigers will have to wait at least another year to battle of Brewers of Glencoe as May 12th's game has been cancelled due to rain in the area. This game will not be made up. The Tigers' last game against Glencoe was back in 2001.
The Tigers will try to get back to action this Sunday, May 14th when they travel to Victoria for a 2:00 p.m. matinee.
Tigers' Hit Road for First Time
May 11, 2006--by Nick Kornder
The
Belle Plaine Tigers embark on their first road trip of the season as they
will travel to Glencoe on Friday, May 12 th for a 7:30 p.m. non-league
showdown with the Brewers. This marks the first time since the 2001 season
that these two teams will meet. In their last outing Mike Murphy picked
up a win as the Tigers knocked off the Brewers 7-2 at Tiger Park.
On Sunday, May 14 th Team Tigertown will travel to Victoria for a 2:00 p.m. matinee. The B.P. Nine used a strong pitching performance from Dave Kreft to beat the Vics last year 3-1 at Tiger Park. Mike Schultz picked up the save in that game.
Tigers' Game Against Arlington A's Cancelled
May 7, 2006 --by Nick Kornder
The Belle Plaine Tigers' game against the Arlington
A's set for Wednesday, May 10th has been cancelled. There will be no make
up date for this game. Rumors for why the A's cancelled are circulating
around the Internet.
Rumors include the following:
1. They are plaine scared!
2. They don't have enough players!
3. They don't want to see the Tiger's error total for the season exceed
twenty before May 11th!
4. Three Words - Nick Selly's Guns!
5. The price of gas is just too high for the 21 mile drive!
6. They wanted Locher Bros and Miller Lite to miss out of their sponsored
night!
7. They heard the "Ace of the Staff" Shane Hofmann was due up
in the pitching rotation!
8. Vegas got to them!
TIGERS SPLIT A PAIR
Need to Oil the Gloves
May 10, 2006
--by Brett Kruschke
With seven rookies and an average roster age of 22.5, the Tigers know there’s going to be some ups-and-downs this season. And that’s pretty much what happened over the weekend, as the locals downed Young America 7-2 on Friday, only to fall 11-4 to Jordan in the league opener on Sunday. The Tigers committed an appalling 13 errors over the two games, so frankly were quite fortunate to get one win on the weekend.
Tonight (Wednesday) the Tigertown Nine will host Arlington at 7:30 pm, in the someday-it-could-be-famous Battle for the Red Helmet. As the Tigers have gone promotion-crazy a la the St. Paul Saints, it will be the first of two Locher Bros. / Miller Lite Nites out at Tiger, with giveaways throughout the game. There will also be $1 beers in the 3 rd and 7 th innings.
| 5/5/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Young America | 0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
X |
7 |
9 |
8 |
I’ve seen my share of baseball games over the years, but I’d like to know if anybody else has ever seen a team commit eight errors, and yet win by five runs. I know I never have. And I’m still not quite sure how to explain it. But that’s what happened – against a pretty quality club in Young America (15-10, 9-7 in the Crow River last year) – on Friday.
Tiger starter Shane Hofmann worked around errors early, but a pair more finally caught up to him in the 4 th, when Young America pushed across the game’s first two runs. Meanwhile, Cardinal starter Jeff Arnold was putting a bow on his five shutout innings, which included 10 strikeouts.
Halfway home, things were looking bleak, but with the magic of prom night in the air, two young Tigers sought to make it A Night to Remember.
Manager Dave Kreft got bang-up relief work from Dave Feldt and Jonny Schulz, to put it mildly: the two combined to throw five scoreless innings, allowing only a ninth-inning single, with Schulz recording the save. The dazzling duo also wreaked havoc with the sticks, going 3-for-7 with 3 RBIs. Mantle / Maris, Mauer / Morneau… Feldt / Schulz??
The Tigers big inning was the 6 th, as they roughed up reliever Brandon Stender and plated five before it was all over. They added two more in their last cracks in the 8 th, for the final total.
There was some excitement in the 8 th, when yours truly slid into third and grotesquely dislocated my left pinky finger, but luckily EMT Brad Connolly was on hand to help out. I’d also like to mention that I really can’t afford to take out an ad in next week’s Herald to thank everyone for all the flowers, cards, and well-wishes, so hopefully this will suffice.
Making their Tiger, and town team, debuts, were Ben Jass and Ryan Dressen. And yes, that’s a fine.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (1-0, 0-0) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Volek, lf-2b | 5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.400 |
| Kreft, 3b | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| P. Schultz, c | 2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
.000 |
| Weldon, cf | 3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.333 |
| R. Witt, 1b | 3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.333 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Feldt, rf-p-rf | 3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
.667 |
| Dressen, pr | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Connolly, dh | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| S. Hofmann, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Schuneman, rf-lf | 3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
| J. Schulz, 2b-p | 4 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
.250 |
| Kruschke, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Jass, ss | 4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
| TOTALS | 32 |
7 |
9 |
7 |
4 |
.282 |
| 2B – Weldon. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| HBP – none. SB – R.Witt. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| S. Hofmann | 4 |
3 |
2/1 |
2/1 |
66 |
2.25 |
| Feldt (W, 1-0) | 2 |
0 |
0/0 |
1/0 |
30 |
0 |
| J. Schulz (Sv, 1) | 3 |
1 |
0/0 |
1/2 |
45 |
0 |
| 5/7/06 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Jordan | 2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
11 |
16 |
3 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
5 |
A nice crowd came out for Dollar Dog Day , and they would get their money’s worth, if not in the hot dog line, at least in length of game. Probably all you need to know about how this one turned out, is the pitch counts of the three Tiger hurlers, who went three innings each: starter Dave Kreft, 98; Ben Jass, 66; Ryan Witt, 80.
The Tigers did pluck a little bit, and had the score at 8-4 after seven. But the Bruins – I mean, Brewers – added three more in the 9 th to make a late rally all but impossible.
The sub-plot of the game was former Tiger Trace Selly against his brother and current Tiger Nick Selly, who came out of retirement just to flash his 40-inch pythons. Older brother Trace finished 1-for-6, while younger brother Nick went 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit, RBI-double. Plus, Nick has huge pythons. Advantage: Selly the younger.
We don’t cover the opposition much in this column, but it deserves mention that Mark Hess played a nasty third base for Jordan, and should the Carver Central hand out Gold Gloves this year, he should get one based solely on this performance. Good gracious.
Making their town team and Tiger debuts in this one were Matt Schultz, Bradley Lawson, Paul Dressen, and Eric Lyons. $20 more bucks for the kitty.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (1-1, 0-1) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Schuneman, cf | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Kreft, p-3b-1b | 2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
| Connolly, 1b | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| P. Schultz, c | 3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| M. Schultz, ph-c | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Hartmann, dh | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| Lawson, ss | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
| R. Witt, 1b-p | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.200 |
| N. Selly, ph | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
| Feldt, rf | 3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
P. Dressen, ph |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
| Volek, lf | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Schuster, lf | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
| J. Schulz, 2b | 3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| R. Dressen, 2b | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Jass, 3b-p | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
| Lyons, 3b | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| TOTALS | 32 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
.188 |
| 2B – N.Selly, Feldt. 3B – none. HR – none. | ||||||
| HBP – none. SB – none. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (L, 0-1) | 3 |
5 |
4/4 |
5/3 |
98 |
9 |
| Jass | 3 |
5 |
3/3 |
3/4 |
66 |
9 |
| R. Witt | 3 |
6 |
4/3 |
4/4 |
80 |
9 |
OPENER PUSHED TO FRIDAY
Dollar Beers Friday; Dollar Dogs Sunday
April 25, 2006 --by
Brett Kruschke
Whether it was a Calcutta Clipper (swings down, swings up… lake-front
influence, and out) or just a good old-fashioned deep Iowa low, the Tigers
were rained out in their home opener on Sunday against Carver. This
game will now be played on Wednesday, June 21st, 7:30 pm, @ Belle Plaine.
The new home opener will be Friday against Young America, 7:30 pm, in what’s shaping up to be a great weekend to be a Tiger fan. Friday will be the ever-popular Dollar Beer Night , while Sunday will be Dollar Dog Day , a 2:00 pm affair with 169-rival Jordan.
Don’t forget to grab your season tickets this weekend, be it the $25 or $50 variety. Details await at www.bptigertown.com. See you at the ballpark!
Rained Out
Tiger's Season Opener Postponed Due to
April Showers
April 30, 2006 --by
Nick Kornder
Team Tigertown will have to wait a few more days for the start of the
2006 season as Sunday's home opener against Caver was postponed due to
rain. No makeup date has been set as of yet, and for anyone looking to
break the hot dog record, 'Dollar Dog Day' will be rescheduled to next
Sunday, May 7th against Jordan. Check back for updates on rescheduling
of the Carver game.
The Tiger's next action is set for Friday, May 5th at 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Park as El Tigre will host Young America in a non league game. Friday night will be Dollar Beer Nite and we would like to remind everyone to "Drink Responsibly".
April 25, 2006 --by Brett Kruschke
TOWN TIGERS OPEN SEASON SUNDAY
Dave Kreft Named New Manager
Team Tigertown will kick off the 2006 campaign with a four-game home-stand, beginning this Sunday versus Carver, at 2:00 pm. To celebrate the opener, it will be Dollar Dog Day. That will be followed up by America’s favorite promotion, Dollar Beer Night, next Friday, May 5 th. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves...
The
Tigers are coming off a 15-20 season, and the new captain of the USS-Tigertown
is Belle Plaine High School baseball coach, Dave Kreft
(picutred left). He replaces Shane Hofmann, who will
continue to bring his ace-like qualities to the pitching mound.
There have been a lot of other changes as well, across the Tigertown roster. Evacuees begin and end with the lefty Zip Zellmann, who spent the past 16 years in a Tiger uniform; another link to the glory days now gone. Zellmann is taking his services to the Gray Tigers, where he’ll serve a 2-year apprenticeship, learning the knuckle-ball from Greek Wagner. Adios to TheBig Z, a true Tiger.
Shortstop Mike Dhaene and first baseman Scott Schaffler are also gone, as they will play with the Green Isle Irish. Replacing them in the lineup will not be an easy task.
Dan Huber remains property of the Tigers, but has moved to Las Vegas, and with gas prices as they are, the commute isn’t much of an option. Huber has been a reliable face in the Tiger lineup for years, and fans hope for his sooner-than-later eventual return. Jackson Theisfeldt has moved to San Diego – which is Spanish for (oh, never mind) – and won’t be returning.
Despite these significant losses, the Tigers have restocked like a bunny ranch. New faces include: Jake Creighton (the house is built), Eric Lyons, Bradley Lawson, Ben Jass, Ryan Dressen, Paul Dressen, Matt Schultz, Corey Schaaf, and the Magnus ver Magnusson of the Carver Central, Nick Selly. Like Lou Brown once said, There’s two or three potential all-stars in there!
Returning from last year’s squad is: Peter Schuneman, John Christen, Jonny Schulz, Dan Weldon, Brett Kruschke, Dave Feldt, Brad Connolly, Shane Hofmann, Adam Hoffman, Ryan Witt, Nate Hartmann, Dave Kreft, Tim Schuster, Pat Schultz, Mike Schultz, and Nick Volek. Like Charlie Donovan also once said, Some of these guys never had a prime. Add it all up, though, and it’s a very healthy 25-man roster.
Before continuing, it would be foolish not to mention that this information, and much, much more, is available on the Tiger website at www.bptigertown.com. Former Tiger Nick Kornder continues to run one of the most colorful websites around (and I mean that both literally and figuratively). Visit it daily. Make it your homepage. Memorize obscure batting stats. Get to know your Tigers.
Other promotions this season include: Little League Night all uniformed Little Leaguers will receive a free hot dog (June 1); All-You-Can-Eat Pork Burger Night, for $5 (June 9, the first night of the Tigertown Classic); Senior Day – seniors will receive free admission, and the legendary Ernie Stumpf Band will perform (July 9); and Fan Appreciation Night, where gifts and drawings will occur throughout the game (July 18).
The Tigers schedule consists of 29 games, 17 of those at home, with the chance for a few more depending on how the Tigertown Classic and Miller Lite Invitational tournaments turn out.
The Tigertown Classic just keeps getting better and better, and this year features Freeport (formerly Melrose), Union Hill, Elko, Belle Plaine, Le Sueur, Blue Earth, Green Isle, and Marshall. Held June 9-10-11, admission to the Classic is free with a season ticket, which leads me to…
Season Tickets – There are two options again this year for Tiger fans: the $25 season ticket, good for all 17 regular season home games; or the $50 Dugout Club season ticket, good for all 17 regular season home games, plus a free food (including hot dog) and beverage (including beer) item at each game, plus a free BP baseball cap or Dugout Club t-shirt! (Please note: kids 12-and-under are always free.) Tickets are available at the gate, at Brad’s Barber Shop, or through any BP Baseball Association board member.
Finally, I’d like to mention the Tiger Open Fund-Raiser Golf Tournament, which will take place on Friday, June 2 nd, at Valley View Golf Club here in Belle Plaine. The cost is $50 for members, $75 for non-members, and the proceeds of this 4-person, 18-hole scramble will benefit both the Gray Tigers (35 and older) and the town-team Tigers. Registration forms, and all pertinent details, are currently online at www.bptigertown.com, or look for our ad in upcoming Heralds.
Thank you, and we’ll see you out at Tiger, on the golf course, and in the pork burger line, soon.
After one year under his belt in Tigertown, Dave Kreft has been named skipper for the 2006 season. Having already mastered the game between the lines (Kreft hit .194 last year), the only challenge remaining was to engage in the chess match that is managing the local nine. It won't be for a lack of bodies: the Tigers have no less than 25 eager sailors suiting up this year. Kreft succeeds Shane Hofmann, who led the Tigers to a plucky 15-20 record last year.
The new Tiger helmsman models himself a thinker, along the lines of Plato and Aristotle, only in pinstripes (and a goatee). Kreft is not the rah-rah sort; but then again, he only had 14 hits last year, so it is kind of hard to tell. Anyways, if you've liked what you've seen of Mr. Kreft as manager of the Belle Plaine high school Tigers, you'll really like what he brings to the table in Tigertown.
Season tickets are now available from any Belle Plaine Baseball Association member. The season (and home) opener is will also be Dollar Dog Day - Sunday, April 30, 2:00 pm vs. Carver. The early weather forecast says it will be a beautiful day for a ballgame.
