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Tigers Implode vs. Gaylord, St. Peter (--by Brett Kruschke)
Team Tigertown topped Brownton and Arlington in convincing fashion, followed by their two worst games of the year – losing back-to-back against Gaylord and St. Peter. The 20-5 trouncing at the hands of the Saints means St. Peter will be the #1 seed in the CCL-White playoffs, while the Tigers will be #2, opening up at home on Friday, July 22 nd against either Brownton or Winthrop. Game time will be 7:30 pm.
Last night, the locals traveled to Winthrop; check www.bptigertown.com for results, or wait for next week’s Herald.
Thurdsay the El Tigre Train rolls to Mankato, to battle the Twins, in a non-league tune-up. 7:30 pm first pitch. On Sunday, the Tigers are sure to sweat profusely as they face the Braves in Le Sueur (2:00 pm), wrapping up the regular season. Note: If the BBQ coin has not been found by game time, Zip Zellmann will begin releasing clues, every hour on the hour, until it is found.
As mentioned, the CCL-White playoffs will begin on Friday, July 22 nd; the division consists of #1 seed St. Peter, # 2 seed Belle Plaine, #5 seed Gaylord, and Brownton and Winthrop, who will be the #3 and #4 seeds (still to be determined). The top two teams will advance to Region 4C play, beginning August 6 th, in Belle Plaine, who will be the single site host for this year’s Region 4C playoffs. Full details, including the CCL-White playoff bracket, will be in next week’s paper.
Brownton 6 @ Tigers 11 (Tuesday, July 5th)
| 7/5/05 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Brownton | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
11 |
4 |
| Belle Plaine | 3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
X |
11 |
10 |
2 |
Shane Hofmann returned to the mound for the first time since hearing his elbow pop on May 20 in St. Francis. He was greeted rudely by the Bruins, who took advantage of a two-out error to post five consecutive singles and take a 3-0 first inning lead.
The Pride of the Borough stormed back with three of their own, and things were underway. Hofmann was on a short pitch count, so left after three for the man with the fire in his belly, Dan Huber. Belle Plaine scored one in the fourth and three in the fifth, highlighted by a stand-up triple (sic) by the big Clydesdale himself, Zip Zellmann. We can only assume the ball got caught in the vines!
Brownton scored thrice in the sixth, but again the Express answered immediately, plating four. Dave Feldt, serving as emergency catcher thanks to Pat Schultz’s absence and Nate Hartmann’s still-casted foot, poked his second RBI single in as many innings for the final two runs. Feldt’s gutty effort behind the dish reminded of Gabby Hartnett – back when the men were men, and the women were, too.
Ryan Witt slammed the door with two scoreless stanzas, striking out four.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (11-15, 6-6) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Schuneman, cf | 5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.171 |
| Kreft, dh | 4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.182 |
| Kruschke, rf | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| J. Schulz, 2b-3b | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| Dhaene, ss | 2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
.296 |
| Witt, 3b-p | 4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
.219 |
| Huber, 2b-p-2b | 4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.260 |
| Zellmann, 1b | 4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
.220 |
| Schuster, lf | 3 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
.281 |
| Feldt, c | 5 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
.308 |
| Hofmann, p-rf | 4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.238 |
| TOTALS | 35 |
11 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
.286 |
| 2B – Witt, Huber. 3B – Zellmann. HR –none. | ||||||
| HBP – Schuster. SB – Huber(2), Schuster. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| S. Hofmann | 3.0 |
8 |
3/0 |
0/2 |
60 |
4.67 |
| Huber (W, 2-2) | 4.0 |
3 |
3/1 |
2/3 |
62 |
5.60 |
| Witt | 2.0 |
0 |
0/0 |
1/4 |
32 |
0.00 |
Arlington 2 @ Tigers 9 (Friday, July 8th)
| 7/8/05 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Arlington | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
| Belle Plaine | 1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
X |
9 |
12 |
1 |
In the “Battle for the Red Helmet,” the Tigers sent their ace Dave Kreft to the hill, to face his former mates. To quote Hannibal Lechter, “I’m having an old friend for dinner.”
Kreft came out throwing about 30 miles an hour, and was touched for a run in the first. However, he soon adjusted and before you know it, was leaving with two outs in the seventh, ahead 4-2.
The game was very much in peril, as the bases were full. In came Mike Schultz, who promptly hit his first batter to force in a run. Cleanup hitter Scott Dose then lined the snot out of one, but right at Kreft – who had moved to third – to end the inning.
Pat Schultz finished off a 4-for-4 night with a booming RBI triple in the seventh, making it 5-2. For Schultz, it was his seventh consecutive hit and ninth in his last ten official at-bats. It also raised his average to .407, ending any speculation of Feldt permanently stealing the starting catcher’s gig.
Pat Schultz is on fire
The Tigers proceeded to add four in the eighth, thanks in part to yet another triple, this time from Dan Huber, plating two. Huber went 3-for-5 on the evening.
Ryan Witt no longer had a save situation, but struck out the side in the ninth anyways, giving him six straight strikeouts over two games. On the year, Witt has not allowed an earned run in 16.2 innings pitched.
It was a good crowd for Fan Appreciation Night, and many people went home with something, if not heartburn. The big winners were Vern Nyblom of Belle Plaine and Allen Van Buskirk of Henderson, who both won 2006 season tickets; and youngster Mitchell Heibel of Arlington, who won a Tiger autographed baseball.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (12-15, 7-6) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Huber, rf-lf-rf | 5 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
.277 |
| Kreft, p-3b | 3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.213 |
| Kruschke, pr | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Dhaene, ss | 5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.302 |
| P. Schultz, c | 4 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
.407 |
| Weldon, cf | 4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.327 |
| Schaffler, 1b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.240 |
| Witt, 3b-rf-p | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.211 |
| Schuster, lf | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.269 |
| M. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Zellmann, ph | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.220 |
| A. Hoffman, 2b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.229 |
| TOTALS | 35 |
9 |
12 |
6 |
2 |
.343 |
| 2B – none. 3B –P. Schultz, Huber. HR –none. | ||||||
| HBP – Kreft. SB – P. Schultz. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| Kreft (W, 5-1) | 6.2 |
6 |
2/2 |
3/3 |
98 |
1.83 |
| M. Schultz | 1.1 |
0 |
0/0 |
1/1 |
24 |
4.73 |
| Witt | 1.0 |
0 |
0/0 |
0/3 |
13 |
0 |
Tigers 5 @ Gaylord 6 (Sunday, July 10th)
| 7/10/05 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
| Gaylord | 1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
X |
6 |
13 |
5 |
Do not be deceived by the final score – this was a whooping by the Gaylord Islanders, who entered with a 2-15 record in the CCL, and an 11-game losing streak. The first tip of the cap must go to Gaylord’s Randy Walsh, who went the distance, allowing five unearned runs and just three hits, with no walks.
Shane Hofmann was making his second start back from arm trouble, and was hit early and often. Upon leaving midway through the 5 th, Hofmann was battered like a piece of cod, surrending twelve hits and six runs (four earned).
Jonny Schulz entered with the bases loaded, and kept the Tigers in the game at 6-2 by striking out both men he faced. Jonny Appleseed would also post goose eggs over the final three innings, capping a sweet day on the hill for the young right-hander.
It was odd to think back to snowflakes in New Germany earlier this season, to sitting in the sweltering afternoon heat in the roofless Gaylord dugout. That’s right – last week’s storm took the roof off the visitors dugout! And there were hornets, too. Otherwise, it was a lot of fun.
The Tigers took advantage of not one, not two, but three errors by the Gaylord shortstop in the eighth inning, adding three runs without a hit, to make it 6-5. However, in the ninth Walsh finished what he started, setting the Tigers down 1-2-3.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (12-16, 7-7) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Huber, rf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.267 |
| Kreft, dh | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| S. Hofmann, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.238 |
| J. Schulz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.286 |
| Thiesfeldt, pr | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.111 |
| Dhaene, ss | 3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.292 |
| P. Schultz, c | 4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.390 |
| Weldon, cf | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.305 |
| Witt, 3b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
| Schaffler, 1b | 4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
.276 |
| Schuster, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.269 |
| Schuneman, lf | 2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.163 |
| Zellmann, ph | 1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.238 |
| A. Hoffman, 2b | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.216 |
| Hartmann, ph | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.192 |
| Kruschke, pr | 0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| TOTALS | 31 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
.246 |
| 2B, 3B, HR – none. HBP – Schuneman, Hartmann. SB – Weldon. | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| S. Hofmann (L, 0-4) | 4.1 |
12 |
6/4 |
1/1 |
88 |
5.16 |
| J. Schulz | 3.2 |
1 |
0/0 |
2/4 |
55 |
5.03 |
St. Peter 20 @ Tigers 5 (Monday, July 11 th, 8 innings)
| 7/10/05 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
R |
H |
E |
| St. Peter | 1 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
20 |
17 |
0 |
| Belle Plaine | 0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
I’m not sure I could over-exaggerate how bad of a game the Tigers played, and there were too many witnesses for me to lie to you. In what began as a clash of the top two teams in the CCL-White, quickly turned into the most wretched team performance this reporter has ever witnessed. I’m sorry, but it was that bad, and it was embarrassing.
Belle Plaine stunk in all three primary facets of the game – offense, defense, and special teams. The Tigers posted an amazing ten errors over this eight-inning circus, and everyone had a hand in it. Players could be seen diving and flopping all over the field, from start to finish.
The pitching was just as rotten – allowing 17 hits and six walks, falling behind in the count all night, while poor Pat Schultz (the Tiger catcher) had to squat for 194 pitches. Again, that’s over eight innings.
Offensively, the Tigers drew seven walks and as many hits, with the lone extra-base hit being Dan Weldon’s two-run homer off the football press box in the third inning. The hometown team trailed 6-3 at that point, but that was as close as it would get.
Belle Plaine fans thought they had seen it all when the Saints led 11-4 after seven, but that’s when the wheels really came off and nine more runs came across in the eighth, each pitch like the painful prick of a Tiger cupie doll. I know I’ll never see another game like this, because it’s not possible.
| Belle Plaine TIGERS (12-17, 7-8) | ||||||
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
Avg. |
|
| Huber, rf | 5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.264 |
| Kreft, 1b | 3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.208 |
| J. Schulz, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.273 |
| Dhaene, ss | 3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.304 |
| Volek, ph | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.250 |
| P. Schultz, c | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
.378 |
| Weldon, cf | 4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
.318 |
| Witt, 3b | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.191 |
| Hartmann, dh | 2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.179 |
| M. Schultz, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Feldt, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.308 |
| Thiesfeldt, p | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.111 |
| Kruschke, pr | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| Schuster, lf | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.261 |
| Schuneman, lf | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.159 |
| A. Hoffman, 2b-p | 2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.231 |
| Connolly, ph | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
| TOTALS | 31 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
.226 |
| 2B – none. 3B – none. HR – Weldon. | ||||||
| HBP –Kreft, Hartmann. SB – Dhaene(2). | ||||||
| Pitcher | IP |
H |
R/ER |
BB/K |
NP |
ERA |
| M. Schultz (L, 2-4) | 4.2 |
9 |
9/4 |
1/1 |
91 |
5.04 |
| Feldt | 2.2 |
2 |
4/0 |
3/2 |
59 |
6.50 |
| Thiesfeldt | 0.1 |
5 |
7/0 |
2/1 |
41 |
2.70 |
| A. Hoffman | 0.1 |
1 |
0/0 |
0/0 |
3 |
0.00 |
This page was created and maintained by Nick Kornder, Sports Information Director at Northern State University. The views and ideas on this page are that of the author, and not those of Northern State University.