Carver Crubles

Tigers 3 vs. Carver 0, at Belle Plaine (Friday, July 21)
Belle Plaine, Minn. - 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.