| |
Admin
Last updated
09-01-09 08:10 AM
 
Elrosa Saints
Matt Middendorf
320-219-3488
P.O. Box 193
Browerville, Minnesota
56438
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 Saints News: SAINTS TAKE DIVISION PLAYOFF CROWN |
|
Monday, August 3
SAINTS TAKE DIVISION PLAYOFF CROWN
|  | | STEVE MUELLER TAGS OUT THE WOULD BE WINNING RUN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH!! | |
By Randy Olson
After a one year absence, Elrosa is back at regions!
A mere week after being stung by a one-run loss in the winner’s bracket final of the Stearns County League North playoffs, the Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team found the sweet taste of victory twice this past weekend with a 3-2 win at Meire Grove and a 4-3 extra-inning win at New Munich.
To get into the SCL-North championship game, the Saints had to grind out a 3-2, come-from-behind win at Meire Grove on Saturday afternoon.
The Division champion Saints take a top seed into the upcoming Region 15C tournament. They face the Cornbelt North runner-up Norway Lake-Sunburg Lakers in the 1:00pm game on Saturday, August 8. ALL GAMES CAN BE HEARD LIVE ON KASM 1150AM!
Spring Hill catcher Nate Terres and Meire Grove pitcher Matt Imdieke were drafted by Elrosa. Fans can find more information, photos, and as well as the region bracket online at bbejaguars.blogspot.com.
Elrosa 4, New Munich 3 (10 inn)
Elrosa left one stranded in the first inning, with Matt Middendorf’s lead off single being nullified when he was tagged out leading off of first base. A pop fly and a grounder left Pat Illies stranded, after he drew a walk.
Ethan Vogt was overpowering from the mound in the early innings, firing three strikeouts in the first two frames as the Silverstreaks went down in order.
The Saints heated up in the third, with Andy Mages hitting a one-out single, Middendorf advancing on an error, and Kevin Kuefler knocking an RBI-single to right. Illies followed that with an RBI-single of his own to give Elrosa a 2-0 lead.
New Munich answered with one run in the bottom of the third, earned on Chad Funk’s two out RBI-double.
Both teams failed to score in the fourth through eighth innings, but plenty of action took place nonetheless.
In the fifth, Mages led off with a single and Kuefler and Illies both drew walks to load the bases. New Munich starter Adam Stangler was pulled from the mound, replaced by his brother Joe. The Silverstreaks then coaxed a double play, as Mages was tagged out after a pop fly at third base had him leading off.
Elrosa left three stranded again in the seventh, after Illies and Steve Mueller both earned one out walks. A strikeout and pop up left them on base.
The Saints ended both the seventh and eighth innings with double plays, first a 5-4-3 (Dustin Breitbach to Mages to Illies) and then a 6-4 unassisted by Middendorf, who tossed it to Illies at first.
In the top of the ninth, the Saints added another run with an RBI-double by Vogt to center off of New Munich’s third pitcher, Nick Stangler. Kuefler scored their third run, after leading off with a single.
Joe Hoppe got lucky with a single shot past the glove of diving first baseman Pat Illies, giving new life to the Silverstreaks dugout. After a hit batsman, Darin Funk hit a sacrifice bunt. Vogt earned his eighth strikeout of the game before Karl Funk bombed a two-RBI single to left, tying the game.
A long fielder’s choice to center by Nick Stangler was picked up by Kuefler, who nailed Middendorf at cutoff. The sequence played out to precision, as Funk raced around third to home plate. Mueller brought in the cutoff in time, tagging the third out as Funk dove for home.
With the furious finish to the ninth inning, the 10th brought its own drama.
Weston Wander’s one-out single started the Saints’ offense. A walk to Mages and fielding error on Middendorf’s grounder loaded the bases.
Kuefler stepped to bat and promptly shot a single to center. After a strikeout for the second out, Jim Thull took the mound as closer to stop the bleeding. Three Saints were left on base.
Elrosa’s Zach Weller replaced Vogt, who had 115 pitches to his credit while holding a powerful New Munich lineup to five hits. Weller took out the Silverstreaks in order, as the Saints won their first division playoff title since 2007.
Elrosa 3, Meire Grove 2
In Saturday's elimination game at Meire Grove, the Saints faced the end of the road going into the eighth inning, trailing 2-0.
The Saints had left two runners stranded in the first, one in the third, one in the fifth, one in the seventh.
In the eighth, Middendorf and Kuefler both hit one-out singles, with Ethan Vogt loading the bases on an error that allowed Middendorf to score the first run. Pat Illies then hit a two-RBI single to put the Saints up 3-2.
The Saints left one more runner stranded in the eighth, but it would not matter as Aaron Vogt fired two more strikeouts in the top of the ninth to leave two Grovers stranded and end the game.
The Saints totaled seven hits off of Meire Grove starter Matt Imdieke, led by Kuefler's two-for-four performance. Also earning singles were Randy Duevel, Breitbach, Ethan Vogt, and Middendorf.
|
|
